Often criticised, video games have a bad reputation among parents. And yet, according to research from Japan, gaming can have real benefits for the mental health of gamers, even if it's all a question of moderation.

Could turning on your console help put a smile back on your face? According to a paper titled "Causal effect of video gaming on mental well-being in Japan 2020-2022," published in Nature Human Behaviour, video games could have positive effects on mental health. This is the finding of research carried out in Japan, involving almost 100,000 people aged between 10 and 69, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The results suggest that playing video games, or even owning a console, can have a positive impact on mental well-being.

Switch or PS5?

The study, carried out between 2020 and 2022, used measures of psychological distress and life satisfaction to assess the impact of video games. The researchers questioned Japanese people about their gaming habits, during a period when retailers had to resort to a lottery system for the sale of two particularly popular consoles: the Nintendo Switch and the Sony PlayStation 5. Over 8,000 of the study participants took part in this lottery.

The researchers compared the 2,323 lottery winners with those who didn't have the chance to buy a new console. The results revealed greater life satisfaction and reduced feelings of distress among the winners. The researchers also suggest that the Nintendo Switch offered a more family-friendly experience: "Switch is frequently played in-person with family or friends by casual gamers, making it more family member friendly. Conversely, a typical PS5 game is tailored for hardcore gamers and intended to be played alone in a room. Therefore, it is possible that using PS5 could potentially contribute to a relatively increased occurrence of disagreements on video game usage among family members, resulting in reduced psychological benefits for adolescents," the study reads.

Previous research has already demonstrated the beneficial effects of video games, particularly on children's well-being, if they're designed effectively. Meanwhile, a separate study reported that video games can educate and raise awareness about the refugee crisis.

No more than three hours per day

While getting a console may improve well-being, the study also calls for moderation. After three hours of gaming a day, well-being scores fell for the gamers involved, a trend that became more pronounced with each additional hour spent in front of the screen.

However, while screen time is an important factor, it's not the only thing contributing to a day's well-being. Indeed, the researchers point out the limitations of their analyses, as the study was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic, a particularly challenging time for mental health, when gamers' screen time skyrocketed. It was also difficult to know whether participants felt happy because they could play video games or because they had won the console lottery.

The diversity of video games and devices used is also a factor to consider: "Furthermore, the magnitude of the gaming effect was revealed to be influenced by various socioeconomic factors such as gender, age, job and family structure.... These findings highlight the necessity for further research into the mechanisms underlying video gaming’s effects on mental well-being and point to the importance of policy design that considers the differential effects of various digital media screen time for diverse populations," the researchers write.

 - AFP Relaxnews