Video games : a study documents beneficial effects on mental health

Between 2020 and 2022, a team of Japanese scientists took advantage of the pandemic to study the impact of video games on mental health. At the time, consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 were out of stock, which led retailers to organize lotteries to assign available devices to consumers. “We surveyed over 8,000 people aged between 10 and 69. The idea was to find scientific evidence of the impact of video games, and to find out if the way we use them is good for our children,” explains behavioural scientist Hiroyuki Egami. This sample made it possible to compare people who acquired randomly distributed consoles with those who had not in a natural context rather than in a laboratory study. All of the respondents answered questions about their gaming habits and their level of psychological distress, which was evaluated on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale.

Different results depending on age and gender

“When we compared respondents who had obtained a game console with those who had not, we found that console ownership, along with increased gameplay, significantly improved mental well-being.” Using a machine learning model, the researchers were able to evaluate this impact on each of the more than 8,000 people surveyed. “We were able to compare the impact on males and females, and on different age groups. For example, Switch consoles had a far more beneficial impact on adolescents than on other groups, while PS5s showed smaller benefits, but were associated with greater well-being among those in their thirties.” The researchers also discovered that the Nintendo Switch was more beneficial to the psychological health of females.

“We felt that previous studies were too simplistic, which is why we administered mental-health and satisfaction with life questionnaires over a prolonged period.” The researcher acknowledges that the positive impact of video games on mental health may have been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic, which certainly led to people spending more time gaming. Given the limited opportunities for physical activity during the pandemic, the respondents were obliged to change their habits, which is why Hiroyuki Egami is hoping to continue his research with an investigation of the impact of video games on well-being in a less troubled period.

The cathartic effect of video games

For Michael Stora, the psychologist and psychoanalyst founder of the École des héros which offers help to young people addicted to gaming, “it’s clear that video games have a cathartic effect that may be closer to literature than to cinema.” Regarding studies that have linked violent games to real-life violence, he believes researchers should look at the bigger picture: « You have to consider that pathological behaviour has more to do with the context in which games are played than with violence on the screen. » Convinced that they can improve well-being, he has already treated violent behavioural problems with video games « that offer cultural and even artistic encounters ». Finally, he points out that bloggers have reported that certain games like Dark Souls III have helped players overcome depression.