An Analysis of Serious Games and Their Role in Developing Self-Regulation Skills in Young People

Abstract

The emergence of mental health conditions is prevalent amongst young people in the UK, with one in five children between the ages of eight and sixteen presenting with potential difficulties associated with mental health and wellbeing, with between a third and half of all mental conditions occurring before the age of fourteen. While contemporary therapeutic interventions for the treatment, management, and prevention of mental health conditions such as cognitive behavioural therapy can be effective in reducing symptoms, limited access to services, their short-term impact, and limited effectiveness leave many without access to help. The use of digital games as an additional modality for the treatment and management of mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions experienced by young people is not new, however, few examples of serious games for the prevention of mental health conditions were identified.

This research sought to better understand how serious games could contribute to the prevention of mental health conditions experienced by young people. A case study analysis of three serious games and their associated literature (The Journey to Wild Divine, Plan-it Commander, and Mindlight) was undertaken to better understand how evidence-based theories and techniques have been incorporated as part of their design, and how they could be applied to preventative game design for young people in future research. Structured using elements of the playful constructivism framework, this analysis sought to address questions regarding theory integration as part of both serious game design and the players experience, to better understand how these games help players develop self-regulation skills during gameplay.

Through this analysis, patterns of design and practice were identified which warrant further research, including the role of serious games as mediators between players and experiences which require the use of self-regulation skills during problem solving, and the role of both therapeutic and educational theory in fostering skill development.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Brian Fagence (Supervisor), Thania Acarón (Supervisor) & Corrado Morgana (Supervisor)