A 3D fantasy game, called Sparx, could soon act as a counsellor to gloomy teens. Developed by New Zealand researchers, the game lets players choose an avatar, or character, which can roam around a virtual world, interact with non-playing characters and complete challenges.
And the challenges have been carefully based on cognitive behaviour therapies, a common technique used in face-to-face counselling.
Sally Merry, an associate professor of psychology at Auckland University who helped develop the game, said each of its seven levels taught players about a new behaviour therapy.
They could practise the techniques in the Sparx world using mini-games before trying it out in real life.
In one level, the players are taught the technique of swapping negative thoughts for positive ones, by making them zap malignant "gnats" - gloomy, negative automatic thoughts - to transform them into positive "sparks".
A "guide" then encouraged players to try out what they had learnt, said Merry.
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The game was aimed at young people with mild to moderate depression and the guide prompted players to talk to someone if their mood was worsening or not improving.
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Merry said the 34 teenagers who took part in the trial liked the game.
Source-ANI
SRM