Sriwatanathamma Poe, Sirivesmas Veerawat, Simatrang Sone, Bhowmik Nobonita Himani
Doctor of Philosophy Program in Design Arts (International Program), Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Department of Game Design, New York University, New York, NY, United States.
JMIR Serious Games. 2023 May 12;11:e41638. doi: 10.2196/41638.
BACKGROUND: There is serious concern over the annual increase in depressive symptoms among millennials in Bangkok, Thailand. Their daily routine revolves around the use of their smartphones for work and leisure. Although accessibility to mental health care is expanding, it cannot keep up with the demand for mental health treatment. Outside Thailand, multiple projects and studies have attempted to merge gamification mechanisms and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to create mobile health intervention apps and serious games with positive feedback. This presents an opportunity to explore the same approach in Thailand. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the development process of gamifying CBT techniques to support game mechanics in a visual narrative serious game, BlueLine. The primary target of this research is Bangkok's millennials. In the game, players play as Blue, a Bangkok millennial who struggles to live through societal norms that influence his digital life and relationships. Through in-game scenarios, players will learn and understand how to lessen the impact of depressive symptoms via gamified interactions on their smartphones. METHODS: First, this paper follows each development step of solidifying BlueLine's game structure by integrating the Activating Events, Beliefs, Consequences, Disputation of Beliefs and Effective New Approaches (ABCDE) model and narrative in games. Second, the approach to select CBT and related therapeutic elements for gamification is based on suitability to the game structure. Throughout the process, CBT experts in Thailand have reviewed these scenarios. The approach forms the base of the player's interactions throughout the scenarios in BlueLine, broken down into 4 types of gamified mechanisms: narrative, verbal interactions, physical interactions, and social media interactions. RESULTS: With the game structure based on the ABCDE model, BlueLine scenarios implement gamified mechanisms in conjunction with the following CBT and related therapeutic elements: behavioral activation, self-monitoring, interpersonal skills, positive psychology, relaxation and mindful activities, and problem-solving. In each scenario, players guide Blue to overcome his triggered dysfunctional beliefs. During this process, players can learn and understand how to lessen the impact of depressive symptoms through gamified interactions. CONCLUSIONS: This paper presents the development process of gamifying CBT and related therapeutic techniques in BlueLine game scenarios. A scenario can harbor multiple techniques, including behavioral activation, self-monitoring, interpersonal skills, positive psychology, relaxation and mindful activities, and problem-solving. BlueLine's game structure does not limit the fact that the same combination of CBT elements ties each gamified mechanism.
背景:泰国曼谷千禧一代的抑郁症状逐年增加,这引发了人们的严重担忧。他们的日常生活围绕着使用智能手机工作和休闲展开。尽管心理健康护理的可及性正在扩大,但仍无法满足心理健康治疗的需求。在泰国以外,多个项目和研究试图将游戏化机制与认知行为疗法(CBT)相结合,以创建移动健康干预应用程序和具有积极反馈的严肃游戏。这为在泰国探索同样的方法提供了契机。 目的:本研究调查了将CBT技术游戏化以支持视觉叙事严肃游戏《蓝线》中游戏机制的开发过程。本研究的主要目标是曼谷的千禧一代。在游戏中,玩家扮演布鲁,一名曼谷千禧一代,他努力在影响其数字生活和人际关系的社会规范中生存。通过游戏中的场景,玩家将学习并理解如何通过智能手机上的游戏化互动来减轻抑郁症状的影响。 方法:首先,本文通过整合游戏中的激活事件、信念、后果、信念辩论和有效新方法(ABCDE)模型及叙事,跟踪巩固《蓝线》游戏结构的每个开发步骤。其次,选择用于游戏化的CBT及相关治疗元素的方法基于对游戏结构的适用性。在整个过程中,泰国的CBT专家对这些场景进行了审查。该方法构成了玩家在《蓝线》场景中互动的基础,分为4种游戏化机制:叙事、言语互动、身体互动和社交媒体互动。 结果:基于ABCDE模型的游戏结构,《蓝线》场景结合以下CBT及相关治疗元素实施游戏化机制:行为激活、自我监测、人际交往技能、积极心理学、放松和正念活动以及问题解决。在每个场景中,玩家引导布鲁克服引发的功能失调信念。在此过程中,玩家可以学习并理解如何通过游戏化互动减轻抑郁症状的影响。 结论:本文介绍了在《蓝线》游戏场景中将CBT及相关治疗技术游戏化的开发过程。一个场景可以包含多种技术,包括行为激活、自我监测、人际交往技能、积极心理学、放松和正念活动以及问题解决。《蓝线》的游戏结构并不限制同一组CBT元素组合与每个游戏化机制相关联这一事实。
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