As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I’ve seen video games evolve from simple pixelated adventures to immersive virtual worlds that blur the line between reality and fantasy. The concept of DeepWell’s project is nothing short of groundbreaking. The idea of leveraging video games as a therapeutic tool for mental health disorders has always been intriguing, but seeing it gain approval from the FDA is truly a game-changer.
Video games are frequently employed as educational tools, but their application in the medical field is less commonly discussed. However, DeepWell has secured approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a project that incorporates “games and interactive media” in the management of mental health conditions.
The idea is simple: using video games available over-the-counter in a medicinal form to reduce stress and as a form of adjunctive treatment in case of high blood pressure.
Shooting zen
The intended demonstration was titled: Zengence – Aim True with Every Breath, which is a VR game as the developers refer to it as an “interactive shooting game for mental health.” In this game, players shoot at spectral entities utilizing magical beams controlled through a microphone.
The game does not respond to verbal instructions; instead, it requires breath or other soothing sounds for shooting purposes. This design encourages mindful breathing during tense circumstances, ideally within three 15-minute sessions each week.
Opting for a First-Person Shooter (FPS) game as a “healing” selection might strike some as peculiar – given that these types of games are commonly associated with promoting violence, together with the Grand Theft Auto series. However, Ryan Douglas, co-founder of DeepWell, suggests an intriguing contradiction; research indicates that action games may actually serve as the most effective stress relievers in the realm of video gaming (as reported by PC Gamer).
Additionally, actively participating in a specific activity significantly accelerates our learning process. It’s quite challenging to discover anything more captivating than a video game.
It appears that when we immerse ourselves deeply in play, our learning process significantly speeds up. Our goal is to create settings where individuals experience immense enjoyment and ‘flow’, as these circumstances provide us with the chance for something known as memory consolidation or building new neural pathways. This process allows you to incorporate fresh thoughts and concepts about yourself, but also on a more emotional level, like responding differently due to changes in your autonomic nervous system. In essence, a trigger activates this new neurological pathway, which over time becomes your preferred way of behaving.
Trillions of dollars and a golden era of games
Following the FDA approval, Douglas’ company intends to secure coverage codes from Medicaid and Medicare, and offer financial incentives to businesses, healthcare providers, and patients to adopt, endorse, and utilize DeepWell’s games. Essentially, these unique games could be prescribed as part of a future treatment plan for various mental health conditions, including those related to anxiety and depression.
Ryan Douglas views this development not merely as a medical breakthrough, but also notes that many contemporary video games, like Zengence for instance, can positively impact patients, even without the use of biofeedback techniques.
According to Douglas, software similar to gaming apps but not created by game developers would be significantly less effective as a therapeutic tool compared to many existing commercial games. In his view, if these developers could tap into the vast resources of the healthcare industry (valued at trillions of dollars), it could lead to another prosperous era for video games – sometimes referred to as a “new golden age” in gaming.
Additionally, he proposes that video games could serve as a “self-chosen therapy” for patients.
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2024-09-12 11:32