Gaming, Mental Wellbeing, and Depression

Date: Saturday 24 Aug 2024

Casual gaming can boost mental wellbeing by relieving everyday stress. However, overuse can lead to isolation, anxiety, and depression.

Gaming has become a popular hobby among men of all ages. Technological advancements have transformed it into a full-blown subculture, complete with professional teams and streaming platforms. But, gaming has both positive and negative aspects.

For many men, gaming serves as a way to decompress and connect with others. However, it can also contribute to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. This article explores the complex relationship between gaming and mental wellbeing and offers tips to ensure gaming does not negatively impact our overall wellbeing.

Here streamer Anthony Flick of SkybornTV gives his own authentic perspective on how gaming has impacted his mental wellbeing, highlighting both its benefits and drawbacks. Keep up with Anthony on Twitch and TikTok.

The Positive Impacts of Gaming

Anthony says, ”The gaming community has given me a home, a purpose, and the strength to face my mental health struggles head-on.”

Research supports these positive impacts:

• Gamers often report that playing video games helps lower their stress levels.
• Systematic reviews have found that games can help people relax and reduce worries.
• Playing video games, especially immersive ones, can help people recover from stressful work events.

High stress and depression are often linked, so reducing stress can help manage depression. Healthy stress management techniques include exercise, meditation, and deep breathing. Gaming can be another useful tool.

Games also offer cognitive benefits such as:

• Improved attention and visuospatial skills

• Faster processing speeds

• Improved memory, especially in immersive games like Minecraft

From Character Building to Building Character

Besides reducing stress and enhancing cognitive skills, gaming can provide:

• A sense of accomplishment
• Low-stakes opportunities to experience and overcome failure

Depression often brings a sense of inadequacy. Gaming can build emotional resilience and offer a safe space to practice overcoming setbacks. Studies have found that gamers feel more confident handling everyday life stressors after facing in-game challenges.

Social Benefits

Anthony shares, ”The gaming community gave me a true sense of confidence and identity. It helped me become healthier and more confident.”

Depression often leads to social withdrawal. Gaming offers a way to build social networks and a sense of community. A 2017 poll showed that friendship was a major motivator for playing games. Gaming provides a low-stress way to stay in touch with friends, build new communities, or bond with a spouse or co-worker.

A survey of over 2000 gamers found that those who played multiplayer games reported greater social well-being compared to single-player game enthusiasts.

The Negative Side of Gaming

Anthony notes, ”Some gaming environments, when approached with the wrong mindset, can harm mental and physical health. We must prioritize staying active and mindful.” While games have positive aspects, overuse can harm our mental health.

Spending too much time playing can lead to sleep disruption, increased anger or aggression, and poor eating habits. These behaviours can worsen mental health. For instance, spending hours playing alone can signal worsening depression.

Other downsides include:

• Disrupting sleep cycles

• Inciting anger or aggression

• Interfering with healthy eating habits

Do Video Games Cause Depression?

While video games have negative side effects, depression has multiple contributing factors. No strong evidence links gaming directly to depression. Excessive gaming correlates with impaired psychological functioning, including depression symptoms.

Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is a condition where pervasive gaming causes significant distress. People with IGD often show depressive symptoms. However, IGD is not common among regular gamers.

Tips to Keep Gaming Healthy

More research is needed on the connection between gaming and depression. However, steps can be taken to reduce the risks:

• Set limits on gaming hours

• Engage in multiplayer games to stay socially connected

• Shut off gaming devices an hour before sleep

• Limit in-game purchases

• Switch to low-stress games if feeling upset

• Choose healthier snacks while playing

• Take breaks and stay active

• Be mindful of emotions while playing

It's essential to prioritize mental health over game achievements. For example, if work thoughts are dominated by gaming plans, it may be a harmful coping mechanism. If gaming interferes with social life, physical health, or responsibilities, it’s time to seek help.

Content source: https://headsupguys.org/video-gaming-mental-health-and-depression/