As well as being entertaining, video games may also have healing properties. According to a Swedish study, playing “Tetris” may help alleviate the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The benefits of a guided game session are said to persist for up to six months after treatment.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from Uppsala University collaborated with healthcare professionals who had worked with patients who had been exposed to work-related trauma. Conducted between September 2020 and April 2022, the study is published in the journal BMC Medicine.
A total of 164 people took part in this research, the aim of which was to reduce, or even eliminate, flashbacks – unpleasant memories that can arise in the form of mental images at any time following a traumatic event. All participants reported having experienced work-related trauma and suffered from at least two intrusive memories of these events per week.
Participants were divided into two groups: one received a “Tetris”-based intervention, while the other, the control group, listened to a philosophy podcast. The results revealed a striking contrast between the two groups: the healthcare professionals who played “Tetris” experienced a significant reduction in intrusive memories.
At the start of the study, participants were experiencing an average of 15 flashbacks per week. After five weeks of treatment, these episodes were reduced to five for the control group and just one for the “Tetris” group.
At a check-up six months after treatment, the gaming group had half as many problems as the group who listened to podcasts.
“The treatment is based on what is known as mental rotation, which lies at the heart of ‘Tetris’. When you look at an object from one angle, you can imagine what it would look like if it were rotated to a different position and could be seen from a different angle,” the researchers explained.
By occupying the brain with images, they said, “Tetris” could reduce the frequency and vividness of traumatic memories
“It was surprising to us that the treatment method was so effective and that the improvement in symptoms lasted for six months,” said lead author Emily Holmes, professor at Uppsala University.
“It may seem unlikely that such a short intervention, which includes video games but doesn’t include an in-depth discussion of trauma with a therapist, could help. But the study provides evidence that a single guided digital treatment session can reduce the number of intrusive memories, and that it can be used safely by participants.
“My vision is that one day, we will be able to provide a tool to help prevent and treat early PTSD symptoms – a ‘cognitive vaccine’, in a similar way that we currently vaccinate against certain infectious diseases,” she concluded.