Video games are to be used to treat mental disorders

Video games have long been part of modern culture and everyday life for millions of people worldwide.

While some continue to see them as a threat to children's psyche or a waste of money, others see a treasure trove of opportunities that could benefit humankind in video games. For example, it is possible to treat various mental illnesses using special video games, and the start-up DeepWell Digital Therapeutics is about to start developing them.

DeepWell DTx is a joint project between Mike Wilson, film distribution and publishing company Devolver Digital, and medical device specialist Ryan Douglas. They have founded the new start-up inspired by scientific work on the effects of games on the human psyche. According to many such studies, together with therapeutic methods, video games have a beneficial impact on patients diagnosed with depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

According to Douglas, today's game projects designed specifically for therapeutic purposes neglect engaging gameplay favouring medical tools, which is why these projects are not in demand among patients themselves. That's why Douglas's main goal is to combine the therapeutic effect of games with traditional elements of the game industry so that a game project designed for medical purposes will be almost indistinguishable from a regular one in terms of user interaction experience.

What does such a game look like in practice? DeepWell DTx plans to combine cognitive therapy tools with classic gameplay. For example, when the player has to perform breathing exercises or think of something soothing to interact with an NPC (non-player character).

Simultaneously, the experts from DeepWell DTx intend to develop their games and find features useful for people with mental disorders in games already released by other studios.