FYI people suffering depression should be dissuaded from playing The Darkness

Depression is a complicated mental health problem in our society and one that’s difficult to treat effectively. Most treatments of severe or clinical depression involve medication with numerous unpleasant side effects for the sufferer. In a move not surprising to gamers an alternative method of treatment may involve video games and Bejewelled is being used in clinical trials to assess the heart rhythms and stress levels of people suffering from acute depression and stress.

The Washington post has an interesting write up on the theories and studies currently being carried out which you can read here.

Plenty of long term gamers are familiar with capping a bad day of by shooting hundreds of terrorists or wrecking million dollar cars at high speeds to cheer themselves up. Computer games are used in clinical settings all ready to give hospital patients something to do rather than watch day time TV (which personally has me reaching for the sleeping pills and bourbon) and during unpleasant procedures such as chemotherapy.

When my own son was in hospital last year with pneumonia we spent most of the stay propped up in bed playing Warcraft 3 on a great little portable PC/PS2/Gamcube gaming station the hospital used.

The specific use of puzzle games to treat depression has to do with helping people adjust their own heart rhythms to overcome anxiety and stress brought on my depression. It’s an exciting idea and puts another chalk mark on the board against games leading to the collapse of civilisation.