New Delhi, Sep 21 (IANS) A research has revealed that if you are also suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, then video games can help you a lot.
Research published in BMC Medicine says that video games are a very effective way to improve mental health. It stops useless things from coming into the mind.
Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden said it could also be used safely by patients.
In post-traumatic stress, a person is surrounded by old memories along with extreme stress, sleep problems, concentration problems.
The team tested it on 64 participants. One team was left to reminisce, while the members of the other team were asked to play a video game called Tetris, while the other team members were asked to listen to the radio.
At the heart of Tetris is the concept of mental rotation. When a person looks at an object from one angle, he or she can imagine what that object would look like if it were viewed from a different angle.
Professor Emily Holmes of Uppsala University said that just one guided therapy session showed positive effects. This suggests that playing video games can prevent old memories from recurring in a person's mind.
Holmes said if an everyday tool like video gaming can help reduce stress, it could be an accessible way to help many people
At the start of the study, participants had an average of 15 flashbacks per week. One week later, the video game group had an average of just one flashback, while the control group had five flashbacks per week.
Furthermore, the effects persisted even after six months, and the gaming group also experienced a significant reduction in all symptoms.
Holmes said it was amazing that the treatment was so effective and that the improvement in symptoms lasted for six months.
–IANS
MKS/CBT
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