TY - JOUR
T1 - Connection, meaning, and distraction
T2 - A qualitative study of video game play and mental health recovery in veterans treated for mental and/or behavioral health problems
AU - Colder Carras, Michelle
AU - Kalbarczyk, Anna
AU - Wells, Kurrie
AU - Banks, Jaime
AU - Kowert, Rachel
AU - Gillespie, Colleen
AU - Latkin, Carl
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Rationale: Mental and behavioral health recovery includes concepts related not just to symptom improvement, but also to participating in activities that contribute to wellness and a meaningful life. Video game play can relieve stress and provide a way to connect, which may be especially important for military veterans. Objective: We examined how military veterans used video game play to further their mental and behavioral health recovery by conducting an exploratory thematic analysis of the gaming habits of 20 United States military veterans who were in treatment for mental or behavioral health problems. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews in 2016 and used a framework analytic approach to determine salient themes linking video gaming to mental and behavioral health recovery. Results: Veteran participants reported that video games helped not only with managing moods and stress, but also with three areas related to other aspects of recovery: adaptive coping (e.g. distraction, control, symptom substitution); eudaimonic well-being (confidence, insight, role functioning); and socializing (participation, support, brotherhood). Meaning derived from game narratives and characters, exciting or calming gameplay, and opportunities to connect, talk, and lead others were credited as benefits of gaming. Responses often related closely to military or veteran experiences. At times, excessive use of games led to life problems or feeling addicted, but some veterans with disabilities felt the advantages of extreme play outweighed these problems. Conclusion: Video games seem to provide some veterans with a potent form of “personal medicine” that can promote recovery. Although reasons and results of gaming may vary within and among individuals, clinicians may wish to discuss video game play with their patients to help patients optimize their use of games to support recovery.
AB - Rationale: Mental and behavioral health recovery includes concepts related not just to symptom improvement, but also to participating in activities that contribute to wellness and a meaningful life. Video game play can relieve stress and provide a way to connect, which may be especially important for military veterans. Objective: We examined how military veterans used video game play to further their mental and behavioral health recovery by conducting an exploratory thematic analysis of the gaming habits of 20 United States military veterans who were in treatment for mental or behavioral health problems. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews in 2016 and used a framework analytic approach to determine salient themes linking video gaming to mental and behavioral health recovery. Results: Veteran participants reported that video games helped not only with managing moods and stress, but also with three areas related to other aspects of recovery: adaptive coping (e.g. distraction, control, symptom substitution); eudaimonic well-being (confidence, insight, role functioning); and socializing (participation, support, brotherhood). Meaning derived from game narratives and characters, exciting or calming gameplay, and opportunities to connect, talk, and lead others were credited as benefits of gaming. Responses often related closely to military or veteran experiences. At times, excessive use of games led to life problems or feeling addicted, but some veterans with disabilities felt the advantages of extreme play outweighed these problems. Conclusion: Video games seem to provide some veterans with a potent form of “personal medicine” that can promote recovery. Although reasons and results of gaming may vary within and among individuals, clinicians may wish to discuss video game play with their patients to help patients optimize their use of games to support recovery.
KW - Mental health recovery
KW - Self-management
KW - Social support
KW - Substance use disorders
KW - Suicide
KW - United States
KW - Veterans
KW - Video games
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U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.044
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.08.044
M3 - Article
C2 - 30257787
AN - SCOPUS:85054894793
SN - 0277-9536
VL - 216
SP - 124
EP - 132
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
ER -