'Gnats' and 'sparks' game for gloomy teens

A screenshot from the Sparx game.

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Computers could soon become counsellors after New Zealand researchers developed a 3D fantasy game to help treat depressed teens.

The game – Sparx – lets players choose an avatar, or character, which can roam around a virtual world, interact with non-playing characters and complete challenges.

The challenges have been carefully based on cognitive behaviour therapies, a common technique used in face-to-face counselling.

Sally Merry, an associate professor of psychology at Auckland University who helped develop the game, said each of its seven levels taught players about a new behaviour therapy. They could practise the techniques in the Sparx world using mini-games before trying it out in real life.

One level taught the technique of swapping negative thoughts for positive ones, by getting players to zap malignant "gnats" – gloomy, negative automatic thoughts – to transform them into positive "sparks".

A "guide" then encouraged players to try out what they had learnt, Dr Merry said. "He sets challenges for the young person – he'll say, `you choose some [techniques] and go and try them out in your real world ... and tell me about it next week'."

The game was for young people with mild to moderate depression and the guide prompted players to talk to someone if their mood was worsening or not improving.

A prototype of the game, created by PhD student Karolina Stasiak, was trialled last year. Dr Merry said the 34 teenagers who took part in the trial liked the game.

A much larger randomised controlled trial, involving hundreds of teenagers, was now being funded by the Health Ministry. The results were due early next year and if the game proved effective, would be available either online or through family doctors.

"Young people are very reluctant to see [a counsellor]. Most of them prefer to get informal help, so we're hoping that we can make this downloadable from the website and very readily available."

The game was not necessarily a replacement for face-to-face counselling, Dr Merry said. "In the end it's a tool – it's one thing that might be useful for some people."

- © Fairfax NZ News