Research shows that gaming is beneficial for mental health

A new study has shown that gaming can be good for your mental health. The study was conducted by a team of health, behavioral and economic experts in Japan and published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.

The aim of the study was to explore the impact of playing video games on mental health.

In 2018, Gaming Disorder was officially classified as a mental condition by the World Health Organization. This is an important topic in Japan, where many people, often young men, isolate themselves in their bedrooms for months or years.

The study was conducted with the participation of 97,602 people between the ages of 10 and 69 in Japan during the peak of the Covid pandemic, from 2020 to 2022. At that time, due to supply chain disruptions leading to a worldwide shortage of game consoles due to supply chain disruptions. Local retailers must apply a lottery system for those who want to buy PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch consoles.

Across the entire study group, 2,323 people out of 8,192 who entered the lottery won the chance to buy one of the gaming consoles. The researchers conducted five surveys on console ownership, gaming preferences, mental health, life satisfaction, and socio-demographic characteristics.

The results show that owning one of these consoles and playing games is beneficial for mental health. However, playing more than three hours a day reduces the psychological benefits.

The researchers acknowledged the fact that the results may have been influenced by being conducted during the pandemic and lockdown. However, studies on the positive effects of video games on players' mental health have been around for many years.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 23 August 2024