Cozy Games May Help Improve Players' Mental Health, Researchers Say

Most of the early research into video games seemed to be designed to find a link between in-game violence and its effects on players in the real world. More recently, there have been studies about the adverse affects of gaming addiction. However, there's now research that suggests playing games may actually be beneficial for players, depending upon the type of the game.

According to Reuters, the majority of the research into the benefits of gaming focuses on cozy video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These casual games are designed to be soothing to play and almost impossible to lose. That genre also avoids putting players into overly stressful situations.

Hiroyuki Egami, an assistant professor at Nihon University, published a study conducted in Japan between 2020-2022 which found that participants experienced greatly reduced stress and an increase in mental health if they spent one extra hour playing games each day. A separate study by McMaster University assistant professor Michael Wong compared the benefits of casual gaming to meditation.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Topics

Bringing Sony/Xbox Games To All Consoles May Help Grow The Industry, Says Dev

There was a point in time when it would have been unthinkable for Xbox-exclusive titles like Halo or Gears of War to ever make the leap to PlayStation 5 . But the recent cross-platform push by ...
GameSpot - 2d
Southport killer stopped engaging with mental health team, NHS trust says

Alder Hey NHS Trust said Axel Rudakubana stopped engaging with the service in February 2023.
BBC News - 5d
Weight-loss drugs may boost health in many ways, say researchers

New weight-loss drugs have broad health benefits but also come with risks, researchers warn.
BBC News - Jan. 20
Young people are hanging out less — it may be harming their mental health

Could the decline of face-to-face interaction tie together several modern mysteries?
Financial Times - Jan. 18
Move body and mind: five exercises to improve mental health, from twists to lunges

Combining ideas from therapy with physical activity can bring huge health benefits, say the therapists pioneering a holistic approach. A paradox at the heart of current thinking on health is that ...
The Guardian - Jan. 14
Lewandowski: Barça must improve mentality

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski said the team still need to improve their mentality to win the big trophies this season as they prepare for Sunday's Supercopa final against Real Madrid
ESPN - Jan. 11
Working Well: Saying no is hard, but setting boundaries can improve your health

Setting boundaries at work can be tricky
ABC News - Jan. 9
Better resilience is solution to child mental health crisis, experts say

The surge in mental health referrals among young people has prompted debate among experts about the cause - and the most effective solution
BBC News - Jan. 7
Paxlovid may help some long COVID patients: Research

A small study published Monday found that the COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid may have use as a treatment for long COVID when administered outside of an infection. Administration of Paxlovid ...
The Hill - Jan. 6