Skip to main content

Study: Casual games ease anxiety and depression

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Can playing casual video games be good for you? They might be if you suffer from clinical depression, according to the results of a new study carried out at East Carolina University (ECU) and underwritten by PopCap. The study followed 60 subjects suffering from clinical depression, and measured the effect that playing three family-friendly, non-violent games had upon their symptoms and mood. The result: subjects who played the casual games saw an average 57 percent reduction in depression symptoms compared to subjects who did not play the games, as well as improvements in overall mood and an average 20 percent reduction in anxiety levels.

“The results of this study clearly demonstrate the intrinsic value of certain casual games in terms of significant, positive effects on the moods and anxiety levels of people suffering from any level of depression,” said the director of ECU’s psychophysiology lab and biofeedback clinic Dr. Carmen Russoniello, in a statement. “Given that only 25 percent of people who suffer from depression are receiving treatment, it seems prudent to make these low cost, readily accessible casual games video games available to those who need them. They should be made available at health clinics, community centers, online ‘medical sites,’ and given out by therapists as a means of intervention.”

The study tracked 60 subjects suffering from clinical depression, monitoring their biochemical, pyscho-physiological, and psychological states. Half the subjects played PopCap’s Bejeweled, Peggle, and Bookworm Adventures games, while the rest were in a control group. The “video game group” saw across-the-board reductions in depression, with seven subjects classified as suffering from moderate to severe depression moving to minor or minimal depression categories during the study. The number of subjects classified as suffering from minor depression dropped from nine to four. Even physical symptoms of anxiety and depression improved by an average of 36 percent in to video game group.

The video game group demonstrated both short- and long-term benefits from playing: subjects in the video game group showed improvements in depression and anxiety after 30 minutes of game play compared to the control group, as well as long-term benefits spanning the month-long study.

The study claims to be the first to measure the impact of video games in reducing depression and anxiety. Results of the study should be available from the ECU Web site, although the link was not working at time of publication.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Best color laser printers for 2024: tested and reviewed
A Brother printer on a counter in front of a brick wall.

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you'll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That's why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Read more
The 5 best Wi-Fi adapters for PC in 2024
The Ugreen AC1300 Wi-Fi adapter in a desktop PC.

Whether you're designing it yourself or getting a pre-built PC, it can be easy to get a computer and realize that it doesn't have a native Wi-Fi adapter. Or, maybe it does, but you're internet speeds are getting faster, game downloads are getting bigger, you've already upgraded your router and need an adapter to match your newfound power requirements. No matter the situation, an external Wi-Fi adapter that you can add to your PC setup or even laptop setup will be worth your time. Here, we investigate the best Wi-Fi adapters for PC use. Most are incredibly affordable and just snap into a free USB port and start working.
The best Wi-Fi adapter for PC in 2024

Buy the

Read more
How to pin a website to the taskbar in Windows
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Windows includes many interesting tools, but if you’re like many people, more and more of your digital life is happening in your web browser and nowhere else. That being the case, you’ll want to keep your most important websites close at hand. The easiest way to access them in Windows is the Start menu and the taskbar, treating them more or less like programs in and of themselves.

Although easy overall, getting a website from your browser to your taskbar is slightly different depending on which browser you’re using.

Read more