Video games can be useful in health care and research

Video games can be useful in health care and research into their effects deserves to be taken seriously, argues an expert in this week's BMJ.

One innovative application of video games in health care is their use in pain management as the degree of attention needed to play such a game can distract the player from the sensation of pain, writes Mark Griffiths, Professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University.

Video games can also provide cognitive (mental) distraction for children during chemotherapy, and have been used as a form of physiotherapy or to help develop social and spatial ability skills in many different groups of people.

However, there is also a growing body of evidence highlighting the more negative aspects of play, particularly on children and adolescents. These include the risk of video game addiction and increased aggressiveness.

Other adverse effects, such as auditory hallucinations, repetitive strain injuries, and obesity have also been reported, but firm evidence is lacking.

On balance, there is little evidence that moderate frequency of play has serious adverse effects, but more evidence is needed on excessive play and on defining what constitutes excess in the first place, says the author.

There should also be long term studies of the course of videogame addiction, he concludes.

Contact:
Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies, International Gaming Research Unit, Department of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, UK
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 5528
Email: [email protected]

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