Video Games and Mental Health - Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design

How do video games and mental health intersect from the perspectives of psychology and game design? In recent years, the topic of mental health has gained tremendous importance for the games industry, affecting both the applied and entertainment games sectors. The former draws from established practices in diagnostics, digital medicine, therapy, and self-help to develop innovative and accessible tools; the latter follows in the tradition of games d'auteur, addressing the topic of mental health from a personal perspective. The contributors to this volume inspect current trends and future perspectives related to these phenomena to inform the work of psychologists and game designers.

About the author

Federico Alvarez Igarzábal is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health in Freiburg, Germany, working in the EU-funded project VIRTUALTIMES. His research focuses primarily on the temporality of video games from a formalist and cognitive-scientific perspective. He obtained his PhD at the Institute of Media Culture and Theatre of the University of Cologne and the Cologne Game Lab of the TH Köln in 2018 with his thesis »Time and Space in Video Games«.

Summary

How do video games and mental health intersect from the perspectives of psychology and game design? In recent years, the topic of mental health has gained tremendous importance for the games industry, affecting both the applied and entertainment games sectors. The former draws from established practices in diagnostics, digital medicine, therapy, and self-help to develop innovative and accessible tools; the latter follows in the tradition of games d'auteur, addressing the topic of mental health from a personal perspective. The contributors to this volume inspect current trends and future perspectives related to these phenomena to inform the work of psychologists and game designers.

Product details

• Assisted by: Federico Alvarez Igarzábal (Editor), Chad Comeau (Editor), Emmanuel Guardiola (Editor), Federico Alvarez Igarzábal (Editor), Carmen Johann (Editor), Katharina Tillmanns (Editor)
• Publisher: Transcript
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.12.2025
• EAN: 9783837668568
• ISBN: 978-3-8376-6856-8
• No. of pages: 228
• Weight: 393 g
• Illustrations: 2 SW-Abb., 17 Farbabb.
• Series: Bild und Bit. Studien zur digitalen Medienkultur; Bild und Bit. Studien zur digitalen Medienkultur 18
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Humanities (general); Social sciences, law, business > Media, communication > Media science; Populäre Kultur, Media, Media Studies, Popular Culture, Medicine, Media Aesthetics, Video Games, Social interaction, Mental Health, Psychology, game design, Computer Games, Serious Games, Culture and institutions, Medicine and health