An Evaluation of a Solution Focused Computer Game in Adolescent Interventions

Abstract

A B S T R A C TMany adolescents experience difficulties with traditional face-to-face mental health care approaches. Personal Investigator (PI) is a 3D computer game specifically designed for use in adolescent interventions. The game implements a model of Solution Focused Therapy. It aims to assist in easing the difficulties experienced by adolescents with direct face-to-face approaches. In sessions a therapist and adolescent sit together at a computer and play PI. Issues raised in the game serve as a context for more detailed discussions between the therapist and client. This paper describes a study in which PI was used with 22 adolescent clients, attending mental health care services due to a variety of difficulties. Whilst further trials are required, results indicate positive benefits of using PI. PI can help in building an effective client-therapist relationship, can assist in structuring sessions, and can assist in improving client engagement in the therapeutic process.

Developing a model of mental health self-care support for children and young people through an integrated evaluation of available types of provision involving systematic review, meta-analysis and case study

“…There was no particular pattern to the theoretical perspectives that the interventions employed, with social learning theory, 100,147 solution-focused therapy, 148 behavioural parent training, 100,157 family therapy 155 and multidimensional, eclectic approaches 71,157 all being represented. All but one of the interventions (Garraway 2010 153 ) were professionally led.…”

“…Our initial pool of 33 studies with nominally qualitative data contained 17 studies in which participants' views on self-care support interventions were obtained from open-ended questions on a satisfaction survey, conducted as part of a controlled or uncontrolled trial; 12 qualitative (focus group or interview) studies; and four service evaluations. Of these, 11 qualitative studies, 71,100,147,149,150,152,[153][154][155][156][157] one service evaluation 148 and one study with data from an open-ended satisfaction survey 151 met our quality criteria.…”

“…The 13 included papers comprised three British studies (Garraway 2010; 153 Gowers 2010; 71 Stewart-Brown 2004 100 ), four from the USA, 151,152,154,157 two from Australia, 149,150 and one each from Jamaica, 147 Ireland, 148 Hong Kong 155 and Denmark in collaboration with Lithuania. 156 A range of mental health conditions were covered: four considered general mental health conditions (where a specific condition was not 149,151 and one psychosis.…”

PlayWrite

“…It builds on previous research demonstrating the potential of computer games in adolescent mental health interventions [6,7]. In developing PlayWrite the overall aim was to create a system that allows one key group of end-users -MHC professionals -to play an active role in creating or adapting therapeutic games, which can then be used with the other key end-user group, adolescents.…”

“…Evaluations of the therapeutic 3D computer game Personal Investigator (PI) highlighted the limitations of fixed systems in MHC settings [5,6]. Used with appropriate clients PI was found to deliver benefits including helping to establish and maintain effective client-therapist relationships and assisting in improving client engagement.…”