Gaming to feel better: Digital game interventions to promote mental wellbeing in youth

Webinar

On July 8th, 2020, the Games and Gamification for Human Development and Wellbeing (GHDW) working group, an initiative of the Institute for Human Development and Wellbeing (IHDW) at McGill’s Faculty of Education in conjunction with Dr. Manuela Ferrari (Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Researcher, Douglas Mental Health University Institute) and Michael Serravalle (Youth, Gaming Against Stigma Youth Advisory Group) held the webinar, Gaming to feel better: Digital game interventions to promote mental wellbeing in youth.

Research in e-mental health is growing rapidly, likely faster than its uptake in clinical settings. In light of this, there is a need for specific knowledge synthesis activities that can provide clear recommendations on how a specific technology can be effectively adopted and integrated into youth’s settings (e.g., schools, community services, clinical services). Gaming my way to recovery is a research project that aims to answer this need by exploring how video game technology and interventions can be integrated into settings to promote mental wellbeing in youth.

This webinar allowed participants to pursue the following learning objectives:

1. Discover how playing video games, and having fun, can help young people gain new skills, support their mental wellbeing and overcome the stigma of mental illness.
2. Identify steps and mechanisms to engage youth in knowledge synthesis projects.

Presenters:
Manuela Ferrari
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Researcher, Douglas Mental Health University Institute.

Michael Serravalle
Youth, Gaming Against Stigma Youth Advisory Group

About Manuela Ferrari:
Dr. Manuela Ferrari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University and Researcher at the Douglas Research Centre in Montreal. Dr. Ferrari applies participatory design to e-Mental Health interventions to enhance access to care, treatment, and client engagement with services. She is developing a unique program of research on video game-based interventions for mental health promotion, treatment, and anti-stigma campaigns. For Dr. Ferrari, video games can further improve access to care by decreasing stigma and promote recovery. Video games can also be used as a powerful, interactive, and creative media tool, to promote awareness and understanding of how people experience mental illness.