Japanese scientists from Ritsumeikan University and other scientific institutions have discovered that under the right conditions, video games can be beneficial to mental health. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Human Behavior (NHB).
The team surveyed more than 97.6 thousand Japanese residents aged 10 to 69 who participated in game console lotteries during the period of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the country’s quarantine, demand for game consoles and related products increased sharply. Manufacturers tried to cope with the shortage through contests where winners were given the opportunity to purchase one or more gaming systems.
The research team found a pattern in the responses; people who played video games had a higher sense of life satisfaction than those who did not play games.
“Console ownership reduced psychological distress and increased life satisfaction by 0.1 to 0.6 standard deviations,” the authors wrote.
The scientists also found that there were limits to the benefits: Those who played more than three hours a day reaped the same benefits as those who played just three hours a day.
Previous researchers I learnedVideo games improve the mental state of people with schizophrenia.
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Source: Gazeta
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