Mario Odyssey lowers depressive symptoms by 50%

https://mynintendonews.com/2023/12/26/a-german-study-revealed-playing-mario-odyssey-reduced-depressive-symptoms-by-nearly-50/

A German study into Major Depressive Disorder tried something new and they invited participants to play the charming Super Mario Odyssey to monitor their depressive symptoms while playing the game. The study involved 46 individuals diagnosed with depression. The participants were put into three groups, with one playing Super Mario Odyssey, one using the “CogPack” program, and one receiving standard clinical treatment, which included medication and psychotherapy. The results showed that the Super Mario Odyssey group fared the best, with a a nearly 50% reduction in depressive symptoms. The results concluded by saying 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.”

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Wow, that's quite incredible... I wonder whether this applies to games in general, or if there's something specific to this game that makes it good for this?

(Indeed, have you noticed this with any games you've played?)

This is definitely interesting, though I think more research should be done before people start claiming "Video games are a better treatment for mental illness than meds or therapy!" Different things work better for different people, traditional treatment is still important (and in many cases needed), and there are a lot of mental illnesses than just depression. What effect would this have on bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder, for example?

That said, I think that enjoying your favorite things -- including gaming -- could help anyone's mental health, but helping and treating are two different things. Even if gaming helps, that doesn't mean the person doesn't also need therapy and/or meds, or in some cases, hospitalization.

Actually, during one stay in the psychiatric ward of a hospital for my mental health issues, a TV with a Wii was rolled into the lounge and I played Wii Sports with some of the other patients. It was a ton of fun and we all had a great time! So yeah, gaming can definitely be good for helping and distracting people who are struggling with their mental health, and I think this is something hospitals should think more about when they enforce their "No electronics of any kind!" rules.

I didn't know that until now, but that's great to know.

My guess from reading the data is that while Mario doesn't CURE depression it helps with symptoms. A lot of it is probably just due to getting patients to focus less on themselves and more on something in front of them aka the game. It also helps Mario is a brightly colored game and relatively upbeat.