Connection, meaning, and distraction: A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems

Carras, Michelle Colder; Kalbarczyk, Anna; Wells, Kurrie; Banks, Jaime; Kowert, Rachel; Gillespie, Colleen; Latkin, Carl A.

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.044

Cited by 87 publications

(74 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Higher self-regulation online has been identified as a moderator between need to belong and problematic social media use in young people [ 192 ] and emotion dysregulation as a mediator between insecure attachment and addiction [ 193 ]. Although distraction is an emotion regulation strategy with a protective function against emotionally distressing states [ 111 ] and dysphoric mood [ 194 ], or is used for adaptive coping [ 195 , 196 ], deficits in attentional control, such as distraction, may also be implicated in stress, anxiety or other affective disorders [ 197 ] and in generalized anxiety disorder with core cognitive symptoms related to excessive thoughts and deficits associated with increased perseverative worry [ 198 ]. Therefore, higher mindful attention and monitoring of mood may have influenced the reduction of distraction and the enhancement of emotional control.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind over Matter: Testing the Efficacy of an Online Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Distraction from Smartphone Use

Throuvala

Griffiths

Rennoldson

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Evidence suggests a growing call for the prevention of excessive smartphone and social media use and the ensuing distraction that arises affecting academic achievement and productivity. A ten-day online randomized controlled trial with the use of smartphone apps, engaging participants in mindfulness exercises, self-monitoring and mood tracking, was implemented amongst UK university students (n = 143). Participants were asked to complete online pre- and post-intervention assessments. Results indicated high effect sizes in reduction of smartphone distraction and improvement scores on a number of self-reported secondary psychological outcomes. The intervention was not effective in reducing habitual behaviours, nomophobia, or time spent on social media. Mediation analyses demonstrated that: (i) emotional self-awareness but not mindful attention mediated the relationship between intervention effects and smartphone distraction, and (ii) online vigilance mediated the relationship between smartphone distraction and problematic social media use. The present study provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of an intervention for decreased smartphone distraction and highlights psychological processes involved in this emergent phenomenon in the smartphone literature. Online interventions may serve as complementary strategies to reduce distraction levels and promote insight into online engagement. More research is required to elucidate the mechanisms of digital distraction and assess its implications in problematic use.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind over Matter: Testing the Efficacy of an Online Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Distraction from Smartphone Use

Throuvala

Griffiths

Rennoldson

et al. 2020

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On the other hand, some scholars argue that escapism is associated with gaming addiction and adverse emotional experiences [ 66 - 69 ]. A recent study examined the effects of video gaming on a group of military veterans with mental problems and found that video gaming contributed to their recovery by promoting individuals’ adaptive coping, eudaimonic well-being, and socializing [ 70 ]. As the evidence related to harm caused by gaming among people with schizophrenia is not yet conclusive, staff working in clinical practice need to be sensitive to and be aware of any potential harmful effects of the interventions and avoid any such threats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our participants regarded violent reward and violent catharsis as the least favorable motives for video gaming. Numerous studies suggest that violent games might contribute to aggression [ 70 - 72 ] and moral desensitization [ 73 , 74 ]. On the contrary, scholars also suggest that violent games support emotional coping after stressful events [ 75 , 76 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habits and Attitudes of Video Gaming and Information Technology Use in People with Schizophrenia: Cross-Sectional Survey

Choi

Yu²,

Wong³

et al. 2020

J Med Internet Res

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Background Information technology and video gaming have potential advantages in the treatment of schizophrenia. However, information regarding the habits and attitudes related to internet use and video gaming in people with schizophrenia is limited. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the habits and attitudes regarding video gaming and information technology usage and their associated factors in people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong. Methods In this cross-sectional survey, service users with schizophrenia were recruited from 6 halfway hostels and 7 integrated centers for mental wellness in Hong Kong. A 79-item self-report questionnaire was utilized to explore the habits of internet use and video gaming in these people with schizophrenia. The attitude toward video gaming was assessed using the Gaming Attitudes, Motivations, and Experiences Scales. Of the 148 individuals in a convenience sample who were invited to participate in this study, 110 willingly participated (a response rate of 74.3%). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a two-tailed independent t test, Pearson correlation, and principal analysis with 3 methods of rotation (varimax, equimax, and promax). Results Most participants (100/110, 90.9%) had access to the internet and half of them (54/110, 49.1%) used the internet daily mostly to watch videos (66/110, 60.0%) or read news or books, etc (42/110, 38.2%). One-third of the participants (36/110, 32.7%) used the internet to play web-based games, and most of them (88/110, 80.0%) had played a video game in the past year. The most favorable gaming platforms were cellular phones (43/88, 49%) followed by computers (19/88, 22%) and arcade cabinets (6/88, 7%). The most favorable game genre was action games (34/145, 23.4%). Those who had a bachelor’s degree or higher scored lower in social interaction than those with a lower education level (P=.03). Those who played video games daily scored higher in the category of story than those who did not play daily (t86=2.03, P=.05). The most popular gaming category was autonomy and the least popular categories were violent catharsis and violent reward. Two motives, “social playing” and “evasive playing,” were formed to describe the characteristics of playing video games. Conclusions Our data showed a high internet utilization rate among people with schizophrenia in Hong Kong. Only a few of them used the internet to search for health-related information. Our study also exemplified the unique habits of gaming among the participants. Health care professionals could utilize video games to engage people with schizophrenia and promote coping with stress and provide social skills training to such people with schizophrenia. Identification of the gaming attitudes can contribute to the development of serious games for the schizophrenic population. Further investigation is vital for the promotion of mental health through web-based platforms.

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“…However, there is still a paucity in the literature surrounding the use and deployment of videogames by first responders/emergency services as noted by Holloway and Reger (2013), who have constructed a purpose-built environment in Second Life to educate various actors in the various issues and factors surrounding PTSD. The field of Games for Health has embraced the design, use, and development of videogames/environments for multiple health conditions, (Colder et al, 2018;Macleod and Sloan, 2017;Callejas-Cuervo et al, 2017;Holloway and Reger (2013). Yet, there is very little research indeed that has explored the use of mHelath Apps, videogames, and virtual environments to support and combat PTSD and related issues by police personnel and emergency responders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Games for health & mHealth apps for police & blue light personnel: A research review

et al. 2020

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Previous research has reported adverse health outcomes for emergency services personnel (ESP), outcomes that research more broadly has shown can be improved using a gamification and mobile health (mhealth) apps approach. We conducted a review of research on gamification and mhealth apps for ESP that had been published in the last 19 years using 6 major research databases. The results demonstrated that virtually no relevant research has been published, suggesting a significant gap in the evidence base of an approach that could potentially have significant benefits for the health of ESP.

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Connection, meaning, and distraction: A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems

Cited by 87 publications

References 61 publications

Mind over Matter: Testing the Efficacy of an Online Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Distraction from Smartphone Use

Mind over Matter: Testing the Efficacy of an Online Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Distraction from Smartphone Use

Habits and Attitudes of Video Gaming and Information Technology Use in People with Schizophrenia: Cross-Sectional Survey

Games for health & mHealth apps for police & blue light personnel: A research review

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