Game Design in Mental Health Care

Game Design in Mental Health Care: Case Study–Based Framework for Integrating Game Design into Therapeutic Content

Siriaraya, P. (TU Delft Design Aesthetics)
Visch, V.T. (TU Delft Design Aesthetics)
Boffo, Marilisa (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam)
Spijkerman, Renske (Parnassia Psychiatric Institute)
Wiers, Reinout (Universiteit van Amsterdam)
Hendriks, Vincent (Parnassia Psychiatric Institute)
van Dooren, M.M.M. (TU Delft Design Aesthetics)
Bas, Michael (&RANJ Serious games design agency)
Goossens, R.H.M. (TU Delft Human-Centered Design; TU Delft Applied Ergonomics and Design)

Human-Centered Design

2021

While there has been increasing interest in the use of gamification in mental health care, there is a lack of design knowledge on how elements from games could be integrated into existing therapeutic treatment activities in a manner that is balanced and effective. To help address this issue, we propose a design process framework to support the development of mental health gamification. Based on the concept of experienced game versus therapy worlds, we highlight 4 different therapeutic components that could be gamified to increase user engagement. By means of a Dual-Loop model, designers can balance the therapeutic and game design components and design the core elements of a mental health care gamification. To support the proposed framework, 4 cases of game design in mental health care (eg, therapeutic protocols for addiction, anxiety, and low self-esteem) are presented.

Case studies
Design models
EHealth
Gamification
Mental health
OA-Fund TU Delft

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:326e1cb7-b270-4d20-a70c-59c4fa328af7

https://doi.org/10.2196/27953

JMIR Serious Games, 9 (4)

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 P. Siriaraya, V.T. Visch, Marilisa Boffo, Renske Spijkerman, Reinout Wiers, Vincent Hendriks, M.M.M. van Dooren, Michael Bas, R.H.M. Goossens, More Authors