With the rise of digital health solutions, particularly mental health applications, the field of mental health has undergone a tremendous transition. With the evolution of modern technology, mental health apps have developed as an additional solution to assist individuals with their emotional well-being. While traditional therapy interventions have demonstrated efficacy, they can occasionally struggle to maintain interest and adherence. Gamification provides a distinct way to tackling mental health concerns by introducing game-like features into non-game environments. Gaming's dynamic and immersive nature may engage users, making the experience a fun and gratifying trip.
Gamification components such as rewards and badges can be effective motivators for developing positive habits. Apps now employ a personalized and interactive approach to persuade users to participate in daily activities, track their progress, and receive instant feedback. These incentives act as positive reinforcement, encouraging users to continue on their path to emotional well-being. Gamification is all about engagement. Play, challenge, and accomplishment themes in mental health apps tap into the fundamental human drive for achievement, incentives, and development.
Gamification has three major areas of potential. First, consider the potential for appeal or attractiveness. Games are among the most popular types of entertainment in the world, reaching a wide range of people. Far from the widespread perception of gaming being an adolescent male phenomenon, the average gamer is over 30 years old, with 45% of them being female. Because of the entertaining components, a gamified intervention may be more enticing to some users than standard methods. Gamification may also help to eliminate therapy hurdles such as stigma and aid-negation. Second, gamification has the potential to provide alternate change mechanisms to those emphasized in more traditional approaches. For example, making it easier to visualize complex things, such as negative thoughts, and allowing manipulation of such visuals. Third, gamification has the ability to increase engagement by keeping users involved in the tool for longer than they would otherwise be, through the use of prizes, fun, and other features, implying that users receive a higher "dose" of the intervention.
Source: Fleming T. et. al., The role of gamification in digital health apps. 2023
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