Exploratory evaluations of a computer game supporting cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents

Abstract

The need to provide effective mental health treatments for adolescents has been described as a 'global public health challenge ' [27]. In this paper we discuss the exploratory evaluations of the first adolescent intervention to fully integrate a computer game implementing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Three distinct studies are presented: a detailed evaluation in which therapists independent of the design team used the game with 6 adolescents experiencing clinical anxiety disorders; a study in which a member of the design team used the game with 15 adolescents; and finally a study assessing the acceptability of the game and intervention with 216 practicing therapists. Findings are presented within the context of a framework for the design and evaluation of complex health interventions. The paper provides an in-depth insight into the use of therapeutic games to support adolescent interventions and provides stronger evidence than previously available for both their effectiveness and acceptability to stakeholders.

Interaction design and emotional wellbeing

“…Recent HCI research on emotional health has explored systems such as computerised CBT [6], virtual reality [6], relational agents [2], mobile systems [13] and computer games [7]. We will welcome papers offering new perspectives on each of these areas, but also invite papers addressing new possibilities, including:…”

“…This workshop will provide a forum for such a discussion. While systems implementing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) have dominated early research on emotional health technologies [7], other perspectives, such as narrative and humanist theories or eclectic approaches such as the Skilled Helper Model, may prove equally valuable [7,20]. The integration of theoretical work from other disciplines may also serve as a catalyst for innovation.…”

An Embodied Conversational Agent for Unguided Internet-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Preventative Mental Health: Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot Trial (Preprint)

“…The former involves issues of privacy and cost concerning service provision, while the latter deals with the stigma surrounding psychiatry and mental illness, as well as preferences regarding methods of accessing support. In recent years, internet-based CBT (hereafter iCBT) and computerized CBT have increasingly been used as a means to fill the service gap and resolve various problems related to mental health, such as bipolar disorder [4,5], anxiety disorder [6], depression [7], treatment adherence [8], and common mental health problems [9].According to Andersson's review [10,11], therapist-guided iCBT is standard, and while its efficacy in the three characteristic areas of depression, anxiety, and physical symptoms has been shown to be almost equivalent to that of face-to-face CBT, the issues of lower efficacy and higher dropout rates of unguided iCBT than those of guided iCBT have been raised. Even in a systematic review of depression-related self-help smart-phone applications conducted by Huguet et al [12], it became apparent that there are no suitable, evidenced-based CBT and behavioral action (BA) applications, that is, no unguided iCBT applications are available, despite the large societal demand for and number of applications available.…”

Developing and Testing ScrollQuest

“…In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in using specifically developed (applied) video games to treat mental health problems such as depression [4,9,10,19,27]. Considering the role of rejection sensitivity in the course of depression, targeting rejection sensitivity is a particularly promising intervention strategy and we aimed to do this by using a videogame.…”