Playing Super Mario or similar video games may help alleviate depression symptoms, according to a new psychology study.
German researchers recently published a study in Frontiers in Psychology examining the effects of 3D video games, as opposed to 2D video games, in the treatment of major depressive disorder. They found that video games potentially improve subjective well-being and memory functions.
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The neuropsychology team compared a sample of 46 clinically depressed patients and engaged them to play either the 3D game Super Mario or the 2D game Angry Birds on a Nintendo Switch console. A third control group underwent traditional psychotherapy and medication treatment for depression.
After six weeks, the Super Mario group saw a decrease in self-reported depression symptoms by nearly 50% and was significantly more motivated to continue treatment than the other two groups.
The idea that video games have the potential to treat depression is not new, with veterans using video games to escape from mental and physical scars of war.
Other studies from 2015 and 2017 found that 3D games helped boost memory performance and engage the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with learning.
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Researchers recognized that the findings are limited by both the small sample size and reliance on self-reporting. Further studies should emphasize follow-up measurements and assessments using fMRI technology to examine brain activity, the researchers noted.
“Still, these mixed findings suggest that video game training may be a cost-effective and feasible intervention for patients with MDD that can be used in conjunction with regular treatment and therapy,” the researchers wrote.
