The challenges of introducing computer games for therapeutic use in residential child care : an exploratory case study

The value of using computer games as therapeutic tools with young people in residential child care has received very little attention, despite indications of their potential for engaging young people in therapeutic work. This study addresses this research gap by exploring the use of a computer game as a therapeutic tool in three children's homes in Northern Ireland. A therapeutic intervention was developed, which incorporated a commercially available computer game (The SIMS Life Stories TM) and emotion regulation skills coaching, and residential social workers were recruited and trained to deliver it to young people in the homes. The research was framed as an exploratory case study, designed to identify the factors which impacted on the intervention's successful implementation; determine its acceptability to participants; and identify its value in facilitating emotion regulation skills coaching and therapeutic engagement in these settings. Anglin's Congruence Theory illuminated how use of the intervention was affected by the psychosocial context of residential child care. A novel application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was also utilised to understand the impact of contextual, individual, intervention, and research-level factors on implementation. The study concludes that, while the SIMS intervention, and computer-game based interventions in general, appear to have value as therapeutic tools in residential children's homes, a number of challenges must be addressed in order to maximise their potential. Successful implementation of computer game based interventions requires: training, supervision and additional resources for residential social workers; informal, flexible and adaptable interventions attuned to the needs of individual young people; and delivery procedures which are compatible with the culture, ethos and ways of working in the residential child care context.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo