Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
J Med Internet Res. 2022 Aug 29;24(8):e39527. doi: 10.2196/39527.
Eating disorders and other forms of disordered eating cause significant complications and comorbidities in patients. However, full remission with current standard treatment remains low. Challenges to treatment include underdiagnosis and high dropout rates, as well as difficulties in addressing underlying emotion dysregulation, poor impulse control, and personality traits. Serious video games (SVGs), which have the advantages of being highly engaging and accessible, may be potential tools for delivering various forms of treatment in addressing the underlying psychopathology of disordered eating.
This review aims to provide an overview of the possible mechanisms by which SVGs may affect the clinical course of disordered eating, while evaluating the outcomes of studies that have assessed the role of SVGs in the treatment of disordered eating.
A systematic search was performed on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase, using keywords related to SVGs, disordered eating, and eating disorders. A narrative synthesis was subsequently carried out.
In total, 2151 papers were identified, of which 11 (0.51%) were included. Of these 11 studies, 10 (91%) were randomized controlled trials, and 1 (9%) was a quasi-experimental study. The types of SVG interventions varied across the studies and targeted different mechanisms of disordered eating, ranging from addressing problem-solving and emotion regulation skills to neurocognitive training for inhibitory control. Most (10/11, 91%) of the studies showed some benefit of the SVGs in improving certain physical, behavioral, or psychological outcomes related to disordered eating. Some (4/11, 36%) of the studies also showed encouraging evidence of the retention of these benefits at follow-up.
The studies included in this review provide collective evidence to suggest the various roles SVGs can play in plugging potential gaps in conventional therapy. Nonetheless, challenges exist in designing these games to prevent potential pitfalls, such as excessive stress arising from the SVGs themselves or potential gaming addiction. Further studies will also be required to assess the long-term benefits of SVGs as well as explore their potential preventive, and not just curative, effects on disordered eating.
饮食失调和其他形式的饮食失调会给患者带来严重的并发症和合并症。然而，目前标准治疗的完全缓解率仍然较低。治疗面临的挑战包括漏诊和高辍学率，以及解决潜在情绪失调、冲动控制不良和人格特质困难。严肃游戏（SVGs）具有高度吸引人且易于访问的优点，可能是提供各种形式的治疗以解决饮食失调潜在心理病理学的潜在工具。
本综述旨在概述 SVGs 可能影响饮食失调临床病程的可能机制，同时评估评估 SVGs 在治疗饮食失调中的作用的研究结果。
在 PubMed、PsycINFO 和 Embase 上使用与 SVGs、饮食失调和进食障碍相关的关键词进行系统搜索。随后进行了叙述性综合。
共确定了 2151 篇论文，其中有 11 篇（0.51%）被纳入。在这 11 项研究中，有 10 项（91%）为随机对照试验，1 项（9%）为准实验研究。SVG 干预的类型在研究之间有所不同，针对饮食失调的不同机制，从解决问题解决和情绪调节技能到神经认知训练抑制控制。大多数（10/11，91%）研究表明，SVGs 在改善与饮食失调相关的某些身体、行为或心理结果方面具有一定益处。一些（4/11，36%）研究还表明，在随访时这些益处得到保留。
本综述中纳入的研究提供了集体证据，表明 SVGs 可以在填补传统治疗的潜在空白方面发挥各种作用。尽管如此，在设计这些游戏时仍然存在挑战，以防止潜在陷阱，例如游戏本身或潜在游戏成瘾引起的过度压力。还需要进一步研究来评估 SVGs 的长期益处，并探索它们对饮食失调的潜在预防作用，而不仅仅是治疗作用。
