Anxiety disorder is the most prevalent and frequently diagnosed disorder in youth, and associated with serious negative health outcomes. Our most effective prevention programs, however, have several limitations. These limitations can be addressed using game-based interventions1. Results from two randomized controlled trials on the video game MindLight show improvements in anxiety that are maintained up to six months2,3. The game was designed based on evidence-based therapeutic techniques; however, it is unclear if children’s engagement with these techniques actually predict improvements in anxiety symptoms. An important advantage of game-based interventions is that they provide excellent opportunities to isolate therapeutic action mechanisms and test their impact on intervention outcomes. In the current study4, on-screen videotaped output while playing MindLight was coded and analysed for forty-three 8 to 12-year old children with elevated levels of anxiety. Results showed that changes in in-game play behaviours representing therapeutic exposure techniques predicted improvements in anxiety symptoms three months later (when children had not played the game for three months). The current study is a first step towards identifying and validating game mechanics that can be used in new applied games to target anxiety symptoms or other psychopathologies with the same underlying deficits.
Are Improvements in Anxiety Associated with How Children Play MindLight?
The video game MindLight has been found to be an effective anxiety prevention program (see project: MindLight - Childhood Anxiety Prevention). However, we don’t know whether the clinical techniques incorporated in the game were responsible for the observed changes in anxiety symptoms. In this project we examined how children play MindLight, to what extent they interact with the clinical techniques in the game and how that relates to their anxiety improvements.
Estimation of sub-clinical levels of anxiety in children
Variance in anxiety symptoms explained by in-game play behaviours
Children's succesrate of destroying fear events and monsters
Publications
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The Benefits of Playing Video Games
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). American Psychologist, 69, 66-78.
Author: Isabela Granic
Upload date: 01-17-2014
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Preregistration: The Effect of Expectations on Experienced Fun, Mood, State-Anxiety and In-Game Play Behaviours while playing MindLight
Wols, A., Hollenstein, T., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). https://osf.io/6gmwv
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 07-05-2019
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In-Game Play Behaviours during an Applied Video Game for Anxiety Prevention Predict Successful Intervention Outcomes
Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Schoneveld, E. A., & Granic, I. (2018). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 40, 655-668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-018-9684-4
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 06-11-2018
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Reductions of Anxiety Symptoms, State Anxiety, and Anxious Arousal in Youth Playing the Videogame MindLight Compared to Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Tsui, T. Y., DeFrance, K., Khalid-Khan, S., Granic, I., & Hollenstein, T. (2021). Games for Health Journal, 10(5), 330-338. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2020.0083
Author: Tiffany Y.L. Tsui
Upload date: 09-28-2021
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The additive effect of CBT elements on the video game ‘MindLight’ in decreasing anxiety symptoms of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Wijnhoven, L. A., Engels, R. C., Onghena, P., Otten, R., & Creemers, D. H. (2022). The additive effect of CBT elements on the video game ‘MindLight’ in decreasing anxiety symptoms of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52, 150-168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04927-8
Author: Lieke Wijnhoven
Upload date: 03-03-2021
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Effects of the video game ‘MindLight’ on anxiety of children with an autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial
Wijnhoven, L. A., Creemers, D. H., Vermulst, A. A., Lindauer, R. J., Otten, R., Engels, R. C., & Granic, I. (2020). Effects of the video game ‘MindLight’ on anxiety of children with an autism spectrum disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 68, 101548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2020.101548
Author: Lieke Wijnhoven
Upload date: 09-01-2020
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Mental Health Outcomes of an Applied Game for Children with Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Non-inferiority Trial
Schoneveld, E.A., Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Otten, R., & Granic I. (2020). Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01728-y
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 06-24-2020
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What Keeps Them Motivated? Children’s Views on an Applied Game for Anxiety
Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). Entertainment Computing, 29, 69-74.
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 03-01-2019
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Childhood Anxiety Prevention: An Evaluation of the Applied Game MindLight [Doctoral Dissertation]
Schoneveld, E. A. (2019). Doctoral dissertation
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 02-26-2019
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Preventing Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Is an Applied Game as Effective as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Program?
Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2017). Prevention Science, 1-13.
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 09-27-2017
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A Neurofeedback Video Game (MindLight) to Prevent Anxiety in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Schoneveld, E. A., Malmberg, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Verheijen, G. P., Engels, R. C., & Granic, I. (2016). Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 321-333.
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 10-01-2016
Project team
I am interested in how and why applied games for mental health work, with a specific focus on the influence of one's mindset, motivation and expectations.
PhD-Candidate at Radboud University
I am not so interested in *whether* certain interventions work but *how* they work. That is, I am mainly focusing on underlying processes and mechanisms of change across diagnostic categories and different treatment modalities. Mother of two wild boys!
Professor of Orthopedagogics at University of Groningen
Graduate and psychologist interested in the effect of games on mental health. Likes why-questions, social impact and multidisciplinary collaboration. Bubbly, (not so crazy) cat lady and outdoor enthusiast.
Graduate
Professor and Chair of the Developmental Psychopathology department in the Behavioural Science Institute; writer; voracious podcast consumer; mother of two upstanding little gamers
Professor at McMaster's University & Co-founder of PlayNice Interactive
Sources
All sources
- Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 69, 66-78. doi:10.1037/a0034857
- Schoneveld, E. A., Malmberg, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Verheijen, G. P., Engels, R. C. M. E., & Granic, I. (2016). A neurofeedback video game (MindLight) to prevent anxiety in children: A randomized controlled trial. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 321-333. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.005
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Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2018). Preventing childhood anxiety disorders: Is an applied game as effective as a cognitive behavioral therapy-based program? Prevention Science, 19(2), 220-232. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0843-8
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Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Schoneveld, E. A., & Granic, I. (2018). In-game play behaviours during an applied video game for anxiety prevention predict successful intervention outcomes. Journal of psychopathology and behavioral assessment, 40(4), 655-668.