Games and Depression

[Cap'n Saccade]

Hi,

I have been researching into how gaming and gamification (particularly computer games) can affect such things as low mood, depression and associated things such as anger - how they might be useful in aiding such things.

There's not that much research into using games as a tool to help symptoms of depressed mood - it's not like a doctor would prescribe an hour a day of a co-op game with high sociability as a method to aid something like social anxiety.


I would be very interested in hearing some recommendations from people for games that believe have helped them "feel better" if / when they have felt low or fed-up.

What are your go-to games?
What type of games? Open-world? Exploration? Casual? Immersive? RPG? Survival? Adventure / Story? Involved or simple? Difficult or easy? Single-player or Co-op?

These kinds of things.

Has there been any game that has reinspired or motivated you to achieve something outside of gaming?
Perhaps re-connected you in an increasingly connected/disconnected world?


Even troll replies are useful:)

[candyboy]

games are meant to be played not play you

[HEART]

I'm pretty sure a session of CSGO is not conducive for helping someone who already suffers from depression and possibly low self esteem that may go along with it. That may be an extreme case but a valid illustration nonetheless.

[Cap'n Saccade]

So it's better to determine what isn't good:)

Yeah, sure - CS:GO can be stressful and highly competitive against people who are obsessive about playing it and it has many routines that must be run - quite an inflexible game where not following a sequence or having the best kit can mean a loss. Plus getting beasted by team-mates for achievement hunting instead of winning.

It's interesting that people dislike the direct competition. I'm quite happy to get pwnd in Mortal Kombat X until throwing the controller through the monitor... but it's a bit depressing to look at the stats screen.

Then again - CS is kinda a different community to shooters such as RO2.

I'm happy to lose in that game, or get blamed for being a bad squad leader because I was messing around. It's easy to forget that others might be annoyed at losing the match because you were too busy focusing on never, ever missing a shot since "In B4 Reset": http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1125014758

The game can be very frustrating when it becomes a case of finally getting to the action and then immediately being sent back to the spawn queue.

Guess that's a similar sentiment.

However, in these kinds of games - when it is very difficult to and experienced players congratulate everyone on the good parts of their performance, it can be a real morale booster.

There have been times where only one or two vocal players have really turned a game around by lending some encouragement to others instead of belittling them.

Perhaps this is the difference between the player-base for such games..?

RL, CS:GO, FF, Fifa - all have players who devote much time (tend to be younger, too - a 12 year old made me do training for rocket league matches and then refused to play cos I was hurting his W:L ratio...) and enjoy to lord over their wins - perhaps because it happens to them, so it's payback.

Other games' playerbase might employ a payforward tactic. gg m8s - next time we win!

[HEART]

Cap'n Saccade lähetti viestin:

It's interesting that people dislike the direct competition. I'm quite happy to get pwnd in Mortal Kombat X until throwing the controller through the monitor... but it's a bit depressing to look at the stats screen.

It's not so much the avoidance of competition. You and I can probably handle it because we have what would be considered normal self esteem but someone with a propensity to have lower self esteem or weakness to depression would surely not cope well.

I'm pretty sure the number of loudmouth "tryhards" far exceeds the number of people that are encouraging. For the most part, games like l4d2 (which is especially good because of the strong co-op vs npc mode) feature team oriented people but we've all been in cringe lobbies as well.

Someone who is attempting to cure or provide an escape for their depression through games and somehow has an addiction to multiplayer games should probably seek out a solid friend base in a particular game to avoid the random cancerous player that is sure to pop up. While not a guarantee, it will greatly improve their chances of experiencing enjoyment in the game, especially having friends as support when things go sideways.

[Cassidy]

I think different players react differently to games. I tried to get into CS:GO because so many of my countrymen play it, but it is not my kind of game.

Instead, I rather play single-player games, mostly RPGs, open-world, or atmospheric horror. Something with a good story, or that lets me have as much freedom in the game as possible.

[PainlessAdventure]

I don't feel that games are a replacement for treatment of serious problems, but I can tell you from personal experience that they do help you feel better until you can make arrangements for it.

[Cap'n Saccade]

Hmm, say for example that someone is quite down and that they are withdrawn because of this - it is a common reaction. Also paradoxical, because at these times we withdraw to our caves is often when we desire connection to others.

More and more common it is that the connection to others is through digital means and, in many cases, anonymous.
I mean, we're all talking here and we don't know each other, right?

The social aspect of gaming has led to some pretty solid friendship groups, yes. Some I've known for years and we'll socialise both on and offline because of how things have been. Perhaps not so often, depending on timezone:)

If someone were to spend their time in only such ... idk the word for it - vicarious relationships (by that, I mean they are experiencing the relationship through a 3rd party, ie, the computer), while it may satisfy to a certain extent it is lacking in many human social aspects.
Eye and physical contact, voice, body language - all these kinds of things.

When playing a game with others, or exploring in an RPG, we kind of get this in a 2nd hand way.

Before flying a jet fighter, most pilots will have trained in a simulator.

The same might be true for such things as this for re-establishing a sense of connection. The feeling of which impacts daily living and decision making.

Idk if you've ever seen the move, A Clockwork Orange - the guy is subjected to imagery and sensation in order to alter his behaviours.

While that's quite an extreme example, such things happen to us on a daily basis - our emotions and thoughts are becoming guided by social media and what it feeds us. Well, I don't use social media (except Steam and Instagram, maybe troll reddit and youtube), but - from my experience, it is possible to train the suggestions and feed to show certain things.

For example, Instagram, when the suggestions and explore first came out, I would choose only green things and it would end up recommending many plant and garden accounts. It became predictable what would be shown if I behaved in a certain way.

If I switched behaviour to be random and click anything and everything - it would eventually show me "normal expectations". By that, I mean it would show things such as jobs, cars, money, people getting married, cats, children, real estate.

Sucking up this stuff on a sub-conscious level - If I didn't know what I wanted (expressed as random clicking cos bored and idk) and I hadn't already sold my soul to be single forever, I would probably feel that I might not be measuring up and need to earn more money, find a chick, get married and have cats in my man-cave that's suddenly filled with girl stuff. Motivate or demotive, depending on emotional state (aww kitties).

Games are as powerful as any other form of entertainment in presenting role models, instilling values and behaviours and modes of thinking.

While most people look to virtual reality and simulation - there's no reason as to why there cannot be regular games that perform - like Painless says - some kind of triage until the doc straps on the VR headset.

Rather than invoking a virtual reality for treatment, it's more presenting a suspended reality until then.

[Hextravert]

Without Tekken 7, I wouldn't have made it through the darkest chapter of my life: Divorce.

During my custody battle, binge watching Phoenix Wright Let's Plays was my only solace.

Now that I'm childless and obese, Pokémon GO is the only reason I get out of the house.

Cap'n Saccade lähetti viestin:

Hi,

I have been researching into how gaming and gamification (particularly computer games) can affect such things as low mood, depression and associated things such as anger - how they might be useful in aiding such things.

There's not that much research into using games as a tool to help symptoms of depressed mood - it's not like a doctor would prescribe an hour a day of a co-op game with high sociability as a method to aid something like social anxiety.


I would be very interested in hearing some recommendations from people for games that believe have helped them "feel better" if / when they have felt low or fed-up.

What are your go-to games?
What type of games? Open-world? Exploration? Casual? Immersive? RPG? Survival? Adventure / Story? Involved or simple? Difficult or easy? Single-player or Co-op?

These kinds of things.

Has there been any game that has reinspired or motivated you to achieve something outside of gaming?
Perhaps re-connected you in an increasingly connected/disconnected world?


Even troll replies are useful:)

[Uncle Ruckus]

Speaking of games and how they affect users.

Just use internet more often and play more online games.
You will find many sick, lifeless and stupid people that can make your game a nightmare.

It's basically life. There are always morons and the best way to deal with them is punishing them by law.
That's why rules and moderation exist.

Everything depends on site / game / service owners and how much they care about their product being free of trash.

Good example is Civilization 6 Steam forum. Good moderation, fair rules, no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.

Friday 13th forum on the other hand has weak moderation, no / not working rules for threads and comments and a lot of a-holes.

Negative experience can and probably will make people angry, sad, nervous etc.

Make conclusions.

[Cap'n Saccade]

So again with online experience with the gamers for certain games.

I've also found that strategy games tend to be more likely to be involved in the game and more respectful in their dealings with each other than more arcadey games.
Mindset and age-group - I happily get along with people 20+ years my junior in many strategy game communities, but have little patience or time for those that participate in a lot of, eg, CoD.


Funny to mention Civ and Tekken - alternating between grand strategy (and Sim-Ant), beat-em-ups and point-n-click adventures/turn-based RPG got me through relationship break-ups also.

Though never played the Walking Dead since. Not the same to play it without them.


Totally forgot about Pokemon GO, thanks for the reminder.

Interesting story about that - an elderly lady of 80+ lives on the grounds of the (nearly) 1000 year old castle in my town. She's a very keen gardener who dislike the rabbits who eat her crop.

One night last summer, a kid decided to climb over the castle walls to find his pokemon rather than wait for the castle to open and pay entrance fee. About 11pm when it was dark.

At about 11:05 there were two resounding bangs echoing around the town square - the old lady had gone out of her house and used her deceased husband's old shotgun to put some shot first into the air and then into the ground near him, thinking he was a burglar or there to rob the castle ruins (which doesn't make sense, as there's nothing but bricks and bats, but there you go).

No-one called the police, not even the kid, but locals decided it was a good idea for her to gift the shotgun to one of the deer-stalkers, despite he only uses rifels - No-one has climbed into the castle since that day :)

Pokemon GO was great - used to leave my wifi open so people could collect the ones on the town square. No signal up here :P