Games for Mental Health. Videogames as Innovative Interventions in Residential Youth Care

Games for Mental HealthVideogames as innovative interventions in residential

youth care

Angela Schuurmans

PhD CandidatePluryn and Radboud University

Nijmegen

Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care

Residential care is a challenge!

Youths show severe behavioral problems, often combined with psychiatric disorders and/or intellectual disability.


Limitations of conventional CBT-based treatment programs• Didactic learning format• Limited generalizability• Not intrinsically motivating


Residential treatment focus on externalizing behavior

However… ± 75% of youths show comorbid anxiety


Cognitive behavioral therapy Videogames• Didactic learning format • Limited generalizability • Not intrinsically motivating

• Focus on externalizing problems


Cognitive behavioral therapy Videogames• Didactic learning format Playful learning• Limited generalizability • Not intrinsically motivating



Cognitive behavioral therapy Videogames• Didactic learning format Playful learning• Limited generalizability In-game practice• Not intrinsically motivating



Cognitive behavioral therapy Videogames• Didactic learning format Playful learning• Limited generalizability In-game practice• Not intrinsically motivating Gaming is fun!



Cognitive behavioral therapy Videogames• Didactic learning format Playful learning• Limited generalizability In-game practice• Not intrinsically motivating Gaming is fun!

• Focus on externalizing problems Focus on underlying emotion-regulation

mechanisms (Dojo-specific)

“Dojo” A Videogame Intervention for Youths with Anxiety and Externalizing Problems

A randomized controlled trial (N = 37)31 boys, 6 girls, mean age 13.87 years (SD = 1.88)

• Experimental condition (n = 18) 8 sessions of 30 minutes gameplay & treatment as usual• Control condition (n = 19) treatment as usual

Trial designed according to the CONSORT guidelines. Ethical review and approval were provided by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen (ECSW2013-1811-154) and the procedure was registered in the Trial Register for RCTs (www.trialregister.nl; Trial ID: NTR4477).

Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

http://www.trialregister.nl/

Measurements• Anxiety (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale; SCAS)• Externalizing problems (Strengths and Difficulties

Questionnaire; SDQ)

• Baseline, posttreatment, and four-month follow-up• Self-report and mentor-report



Anxiety self-report

Baseline to post-test p = .017, η2p

= .156Baseline to follow-upp = .299, η2

p = .034

Baseline Post-test Follow-up12

13

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22

DojoControl

Anxiety mentor-report


= .135

Baseline Post-test12

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DojoControl


Externalizing problems self-report


= .109Baseline to follow-upp = .057, η2

p = .083

Baseline Post-test Follow-up7

8

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16

DojoControl


Externalizing problems mentor-report


= .055

Baseline Post-test7

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DojoControl


Summary

Anxiety• Youth self-report: post-test ↓ • Mentor-report: post-test ↓

Externalizing problems• Youth self-report: post-test and four-month follow-up ↓• Mentor-report: ≈

Thus, three our of four outcome measures show a decrease. All three with medium effect sizes, which is comparable to conventional treatment.



Conclusions

• The effects of “Dojo” are comparable to those of traditional interventions

• Youths’ evaluated “Dojo” very positive

• Implementation within Pluryn

Karin NijhofSenior researcher, Pluryn

Ignace VermaesDirector Quality of Care and Innovation, Pluryn

Isabela GranicProfessor, Radboud University Nijmegen

Rutger EngelsCEO, Trimbos InstituteProfessor, Radboud University Nijmegen

Games for Mental Health. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care

Thank you! Angela SchuurmansPhD candidatePluryn and Radboud University [email protected]@pluryn.nl

Games for Mental Health. Videogames as Innovative Interventions in Residential Youth Care

Healthcare

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