Video Game Play to Alleviate Adolescent Anxiety
Purpose
Adolescence is a critical period for the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, which raises the importance of intervening early; one possibility of doing so is via digital interventions. At least two lines of research have been explored in the past years in this area. First, studies have tested the anxiolytic effects of casual video games, hypothesizing that, through the induction of flow, these games can effectively distract individuals from anxiety-related thoughts and feelings. Second, the bidirectional link between poor attentional control and higher anxiety has led to the design of novel interventions aiming to improve attentional control such as working memory training studies. Importantly, action video games, classified as a distinct gaming genre, have been shown to enhance attentional control. In this study, we aim to compare the effects of action video game play and casual game play to a no-training group, assessing their potential to alleviate anxiety when delivered entirely online. The goal of this three- arms randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the feasibility of a 6-week video game training intervention to reduce adolescent anxiety-related symptoms. We will also examine the efficacy of the proposed treatment when entirely deployed at adolescents' home.
Conditions
- Anxiety
- Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 11 Years and 15 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Adolescents aged 11-15 years 2. Elevated anxiety symptoms, defined as a total score of ≥15 on the 41-item parent-report version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). 3. Access to a computer (at least Windows 7 or Mac OSX) at home and a reliable internet connection
Exclusion Criteria
- DSM diagnoses of Bipolar, Psychosis, Autism Spectrum Disorder, present or past. 2. Neurological injury (i.e. head injury) 3. Currently enrolled in another cognitive training intervention
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Eco-Rescue - Attentional Control - intervention |
The Eco-Rescue training intervention will be delivered through a dedicated video game installed on each participant's personal computer through the Steam platform, following a recommended training regimen of 30 minutes per day, 4 days per week for 6 weeks, for an expected total training duration of 12 hours. |
|
|
Experimental Bejeweled 3 - Casual gaming - intervention |
The Bejeweled 3 training intervention will be delivered through a dedicated video game installed on each participant's personal computer through the Steam platform, following a recommended training regimen of 30 minutes per day, 4 days per week for 6 weeks, for an expected total training duration of 12 hours. |
|
|
No Intervention No-training intervention |
The No-training intervention group does not involve any specific training program. Instead, participants assigned to this group will receive weekly phone calls, similar to the other groups, to answer the same questions as the other groups concerning their mental and emotional states and maintain regular contact throughout the 6-week study duration. |
|
Recruiting Locations
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- School of Health Sciences Geneva
