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Playing video games for a few hours a day can enhance mental health, according to a recent study conducted in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Published today in Nature Human Behaviour, this research highlights a potential causal link between gaming and improved psychological well-being.
The study, which spanned from December 2020 to March 2022, explored the impact of video games on mental health amidst a global crisis that significantly affected people’s daily lives. Researchers observed a notable increase in life satisfaction and a reduction in psychological distress among individuals who either owned or had the opportunity to purchase a gaming console. This natural experiment was facilitated by a surge in gaming demand that led to a shortage of Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles in Japan. Retailers implemented a lottery system to allocate these highly sought-after devices.
The research team, led by Hiroyuki Egami of Nihon University, analyzed data from 8,192 participants aged 10 to 69 who entered the lottery. By surveying these individuals five times, the study assessed their psychological distress, life satisfaction, and gaming habits. Participants who successfully acquired a Switch or PS5 reported better mental health outcomes compared to those who did not win the lottery.
Key findings include:
- Greater Mental Health Benefits for PS5 Owners: Men, dedicated gamers, and households without children experienced the most significant improvements in psychological well-being from owning a PS5.
- Switch’s Family-Friendly Boost: The Nintendo Switch, being a portable and social console, was associated with greater mental health benefits for families and less-experienced gamers.
- Moderate Gaming Enhances Well-being: Playing video games for up to three hours a day was linked to increased life satisfaction. However, excessive gaming beyond this limit did not result in additional mental health benefits.
Daniel Johnson, a psychologist at Queensland University of Technology, notes that these findings align with long-standing observations about the positive effects of gaming. Nonetheless, study co-author Andrew Przybylski from the University of Oxford cautions that the pandemic context might have amplified the mental health benefits, and further research is needed to understand these effects in a non-pandemic setting.
The study also highlights a limitation: it did not account for other variables influencing mental health, such as gaming approaches and preferences. Future research aims to replicate these results and assess the impact of gaming under different circumstances.
For more details on this study, visit the full article: doi:10.1038/d41586-024-02643-8.
