Can Video Games Really Help with Anxiety and Mental Health?

Why Researchers Are Taking Video Games Seriously

Until recently, video games were mostly dismissed as distractions, or even harmful. But that’s changing. Researchers from Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, have reviewed dozens of studies exploring how commercial video games (like Minecraft or Animal Crossing) could help fill treatment gaps for mental health, especially depression and anxiety.

Surprisingly, the evidence suggests real benefits. These games offer more than fun, they help players feel connected, experience joy, and practice emotional regulation.

“More recently, psychologists have even been exploring gaming as an add-on to traditional forms of psychotherapy. The idea is that video games provide a sense of engagement and immersion that traditional psychotherapeutic methods may lack. ” –  Dr. Justin Thomas, chartered psychologist and senior researcher at the King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture

Real-Life Games, Real-Life Benefits

Let’s look at how common games might help with mental health:

• Social games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons create relaxed, low-pressure spaces to interact and connect, especially valuable when isolation fuels anxiety.
• Creative sandboxes like Minecraft give players control and creative freedom, empowering feelings that often run opposite to anxious thinking.
• Casual puzzle or strategy games such as Plants vs. Zombies or Tetris offer structured distraction that can shift the brain out of rumination loops.
• Action and racing games like Mario Kart have been linked to better emotion regulation in teens.

Why Popular Games May Work Better Than “Therapy Games”

So what about brain training or specially made mental health games?

Many researchers now argue that commercial games, the ones people choose to play for fun, actually work better. Why? Because they’re voluntary, rewarding, and driven by intrinsic motivation.

“there is mounting scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of commercial video games to improve mental health outcomes after the team reviewed existing academic research on the impact of video games on mental health issues, particularly depression and anxiety.” Dr Mark Campbell et al. JMIR Serious Games

The Mental Health Benefits of Gaming

Here’s what video games can support when used mindfully:

• Stress relief: Engaging gameplay offers a mental break and lowers cortisol.
• Cognitive stimulation: Strategy, memory, and puzzle-solving activate key areas of the brain.
• A sense of accomplishment: Games reward persistence and progress, great for those who struggle with motivation.
• Distraction from negative thoughts: Games pull focus away from anxious rumination.
• Emotional resilience: Losing and trying again in games builds tolerance for frustration, essential in anxiety recovery.
• Social growth: Multiplayer environments offer safe practice for communication and cooperation.
• Joy and laughter: Let’s not forget how powerful a moment of joy can be.

Games Worth Exploring

If you’re curious where to start, here are a few types and titles to consider:

✅ Tip: Choose games that fit your mood. Feeling tense? Try something calming. Feeling stuck? Try something fun and energizing.

Where Games Fit into Mental Health Care

For many anxiety sufferers, therapy and medication aren’t always accessible, or enough. Video games can be a low-cost, non-stigmatizing, and immediately available way to support well-being.

They’re not a replacement for therapy, but they can complement it. Think of them as one tool in a full mental health toolkit.

When Gaming Can Go Too Far

Let’s be honest, games aren’t always helpful.

If gaming becomes your main escape, or you’re playing more than 10 hours a week, it might start to backfire. Signs it may be time to check in with yourself:

• You avoid real-life responsibilities or relationships
• You feel anxious when not gaming
• You’re using gaming to numb instead of feel

Like anything powerful, video games need balance. Play them mindfully, and they can be an ally, not an escape hatch.

Mini-Review: Key Takeaways

• Video games can help reduce anxiety, depression, and isolation
• Popular games may be more effective than “therapeutic” ones
• Use games as one part of your healing strategy, not the whole
• Balance matters, too much gaming can reverse the benefits

Citations

1. “Sense of belonging”: How gaming can help fight anxiety, depression. (2024). Khaleej Times.  – Dr Justin Thomas
2. Kowal, M., Conroy, E., Ramsbottom, N., Smithies, T., Toth, A., & Campbell, M. (2021). Gaming Your Mental Health: A Narrative Review on Mitigating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using Commercial Video Games. JMIR Serious Games, 9(2), e26575–e26575.
3. Kowal, M., Conroy, E., Ramsbottom, N., Smithies, T., Toth, A., & Campbell, M. (2021). Gaming Your Mental Health: A Narrative Review on Mitigating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using Commercial Video Games. JMIR Serious Games, 9(2), e26575.‌
4. News, N. (2021, June 17). Commercial Video Games Could Help Treat Mental Illness – Neuroscience News. Neuroscience News.

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