Game Design in Mental Health Care: Case Study-Based Framework for Integrating Game Design Into Therapeutic Content

Panote Siriaraya; Valentijn Visch; Marilisa Boffo; Renske Spijkerman; Reinout Wiers; Kees Korrelboom; Vincent Hendriks; Elske Salemink; Marierose van Dooren; Michael Bas; Richard Goossens

doi:10.2196/27953

Game Design in Mental Health Care: Case Study-Based Framework for Integrating Game Design Into Therapeutic Content

JMIR Serious Games. 2021 Dec 1;9(4):e27953. doi: 10.2196/27953.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.
² Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
³ Parnassia Addiction Research Centre, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, Netherlands.
⁴ Addiction, Development and Psychopathology Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁵ Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
⁶ Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands.
⁷ Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
⁸ &RANJ Serious Games, Rotterdam, Netherlands.

PMID: 34855611
PMCID: PMC8686469
DOI: 10.2196/27953

Abstract

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.

Keywords: case studies; design models; eHealth; gamification; mental health.

©Panote Siriaraya, Valentijn Visch, Marilisa Boffo, Renske Spijkerman, Reinout Wiers, Kees Korrelboom, Vincent Hendriks, Elske Salemink, Marierose van Dooren, Michael Bas, Richard Goossens. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (https://games.jmir.org), 01.12.2021.