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Abstract

Research into the effects of gaming on mental health are scarce, leaving an open door for blame. With the recent announcement of ‘Gaming Disorder’, and endless news articles blaming games for the deterioration on mental health, actual research on the matter was being ignored. As new discoveries are being published, it’s important that they are reviewed, and acknowledged amongst the gaming, and healthcare, community. A small sample of 20 people, including 15 students, was questioned on their mental health, by what prevalent symptoms they were experiencing, and the effects that gaming has on them. These symptoms were similar to those tested by researchers within published articles, and by which diagnosis of mental illnesses are completed online. Results suggest that participants whom suffered from the most symptoms benefit from gaming, as it reduced the amount experienced. Furthermore, gaming was found to be a form of relaxation, and not a contributing factor for many symptoms. Large improvements of 27.5% were found in the mood of participants when gaming, and concentration was found to be much easier.

Course: Computer Games Technology - BSc (Hons) - C1671

Date Deposited: 2022-02-21

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13851.html