Presenter: Angela Schuurmans, PhD Candidate. Pluryn. Radboud University Nijmegen, NL Event: Games for Health Europe 2015 Conference Date: 03 NOV 2015 / 14:00 - 15:30 Location: Juliana Congreszaal, Jaarbeurs Utrecht

1. Games for Mental Health
Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Angela Schuurmans
PhD Candidate
Pluryn and Radboud University Nijmegen

2. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Residential care is a challenge!
Youths show severe behavioral problems, often combined with
psychiatric disorders and/or intellectual disability.

3. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Limitations of conventional CBT-based treatment programs
• Didactic learning format
• Limited generalizability
• Not intrinsically motivating

4. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Residential treatment  focus on externalizing behavior
However… ± 75% of youths show comorbid anxiety

5. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Cognitive behavioral therapy  Videogames
• Didactic learning format
• Limited generalizability
• Not intrinsically motivating
• Focus on externalizing problems

6. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Cognitive behavioral therapy  Videogames
• Didactic learning format  Playful learning
• Limited generalizability
• Not intrinsically motivating
• Focus on externalizing problems

7. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Cognitive behavioral therapy  Videogames
• Didactic learning format  Playful learning
• Limited generalizability  In-game practice
• Not intrinsically motivating
• Focus on externalizing problems

8. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care

9. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Cognitive behavioral therapy  Videogames
• Didactic learning format  Playful learning
• Limited generalizability  In-game practice
• Not intrinsically motivating  Gaming is fun!
• Focus on externalizing problems

10. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Cognitive behavioral therapy  Videogames
• Didactic learning format  Playful learning
• Limited generalizability  In-game practice
• Not intrinsically motivating  Gaming is fun!
• Focus on externalizing problems
 Focus on underlying emotion-regulation mechanisms
(Dojo-specific)

11. “Dojo” A Videogame Intervention for Youths with Anxiety and Externalizing Problems

12. “Dojo” A Videogame Intervention for Youths with Anxiety and Externalizing Problems

13. A randomized controlled trial (N = 37)
31 boys, 6 girls, mean age 13.87 years (SD = 1.88)
• Experimental condition (n = 18)
8 sessions of 30 minutes gameplay & treatment as usual
• Control condition (n = 19)
treatment as usual
Trial designed according to the CONSORT guidelines. Ethical review and approval were provided
by the Faculty of Social Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen (ECSW2013-1811-154) and the
procedure was registered in the Trial Register for RCTs (www.trialregister.nl; Trial ID: NTR4477).
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

14. Measurements
• Anxiety (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale; SCAS)
• Externalizing problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire;
SDQ)
• Baseline, posttreatment, and four-month follow-up
• Self-report and mentor-report
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

15. Does it work? A randomized controlled trial
Anxiety self-report
Baseline to post-test p = .017, η2
p = .156
Baseline to follow-up p = .299, η2
p = .034
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Baseline Post-test Follow-up
Dojo
Control

16. Anxiety mentor-report
Baseline to post-test p = .028, η2
p = .135
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
Baseline Post-test
Dojo
Control
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

17. Externalizing problems self-report
Baseline to post-test p = .049, η2
p = .109
Baseline to follow-up p = .057, η2
p = .083
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Baseline Post-test Follow-up
Dojo
Control
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

18. Externalizing problems mentor-report
Baseline to post-test p = .168, η2
p = .055
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Baseline Post-test
Dojo
Control
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

19. Summary
Anxiety
• Youth self-report: post-test ↓
• Mentor-report: post-test ↓
Externalizing problems
• Youth self-report: post-test and four-month follow-up ↓
• Mentor-report: ≈
Thus, three our of four outcome measures show a decrease. All three
with medium effect sizes, which is comparable to conventional
treatment.
Does it work? A randomized controlled trial

20. Does it work? A randomized controlled trial
Conclusions
• The effects of “Dojo” are comparable to those of traditional
interventions
• Youths’ evaluated “Dojo” very positive
• Implementation within Pluryn

22. Karin Nijhof
Senior researcher, Pluryn
Ignace Vermaes
Director Quality of Care and
Innovation, Pluryn
Isabela Granic
Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen
Rutger Engels
CEO, Trimbos Institute
Professor, Radboud University Nijmegen
Games for Mental Health. Videogames as innovative interventions in residential youth care
Thank you!
Angela Schuurmans
PhD candidate
Pluryn and Radboud University Nijmegen
a.schuurmans@pwo.ru.nl
aschuurmans01@pluryn.nl