Attitudes of patients and mental health professionals towards hypothetical use of serious games in psychotherapy.

Journal: Health informatics journal

Volume: 30

Issue: 2

Year of Publication: 2024

Affiliated Institutions:  South African Medical Research Council/Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa. Department of Psychology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany. Department of Psychology, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa. Medical Faculty, Institute of Psychosomatic, Sigmund Freud Private University, Austria.

Abstract summary 

Serious games are increasingly being applied within healthcare, but their integration in psychotherapeutic settings is less documented.The present study sought to identify the attitudes of psychotherapists and patients towards the hypothetical use of serious games in psychotherapy in the South African context.Online surveys assessed acceptance, experience, and requirements for the utilisation of serious games in therapeutic contexts. Clients utilising mental health services ( = 209) and psychotherapists delivering mental health services ( = 156) in South Africa completed the online survey.Knowledge about serious games is limited with only 15% of clients and 16% of therapists reporting knowledge of the existence and application of serious games. Use of serious games is even more infrequent with only 1% of therapists and 6% of clients currently using serious games as an intervention. Despite this, our findings highlight an apparent demand for their use, with 71% of therapists indicating that serious games would be a suitable adjunct treatment modality for their patients. Our results show a general openness toward the use of serious games in psychotherapy.The use of serious games as an e-mental health treatment modality is conceivable for both patients and therapists, particularly as a complementary strategy to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy.

Authors & Co-authors:  Spies Georgina G Huss Jessica J Motswage Oscar O Seedat Soraya S Eichenberg Christiane C

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations : 
Authors :  5
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1177/14604582241259343
SSN : 1741-2811
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Humans
Other Terms
South Africa;e-mental health;psychotherapy;serious games
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
South Africa
Publication Country
England