Will You Play to Beat the Blues?

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Game Studies Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study explores the effect of specific message features in promoting usage of mental health video games applications. Based on the concepts of linguistic agency and disease causality for health behavior change, participants read messages assigning agency to depression or to humans and depicting depression as external or internal before accessing a video game designed for depression treatment. Preliminary analysis showed that assigning causality to internal causes lead to greater game usability experience. Behavioral data form this study remains to be analyzed and will be key in demonstrating the effectiveness of message prompt features to promote video game experience for mental health apps.

Authors

• Subuhi Khan, University of California

• Jorge Pena, University of California, Davis