Videogames in psychotherapy: A quasi-systematic literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21615/cesp.7084Keywords:
electronic games, serious games, psychotherapy, Clinical PsychologyAbstract
Videogames, in addition to the entertainment function, can become important complements to traditional psychotherapy. This study consists of a quasi-systematic review of the literature that aims to survey empirical studies in which video games were used as therapeutic resources, as well as describe their role in the psychotherapeutic process regarding the acceptance of video games in therapy, the acceptance of psychotherapy and the improvement of the therapeutic relationship. Five electronic databases (PsycInfo, Pubmed, Scielo, Web of Science, and Scopus) were used to search for studies. The inclusion criteria were defined according to the PICOS methodology (Population, Interventions, Controls, Outcome, Study Design). The review included articles published in English, French, Spanish, and German between January 2007 and July 2022. A total of 202 articles were initially identified, and 16 were selected to be reviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven of which were experimental and nine with qualitative methodology. Six of the seven experimental and quasi-experimental studies reported improvement in psychotherapy target behaviors. In studies with qualitative methodology, positive results were observed regarding the acceptance of video games in therapy, acceptance of psychotherapy, or improvement in the therapeutic relationship. The results allow us to conclude that video games used as resources for psychotherapeutic interventions favor the therapeutic process.
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