Benefits of Commercial Video Games for Well-being

The purpose of this thesis was to find out if video games could possibly improve one’s wellbeing. Some people will never seek help from the professionals because of the cost of the treatment and medication and because of the stigma around mental disorders. Video games are mostly affordable and accessible. Video games could be used as a form of therapy by using game mechanics and storyline. This thesis studied the attitudes towards well-being and mental health in video games and which forms of video games are the most helpful. This thesis had both qualitative and quantitative research. The information was gathered by doing literary reviews and game analysis to see how video games could possibly improve well-being. Surveys were made to see people’s gaming habits and thoughts about video games that had topics of well-being and mental health. The study showed that video games could be therapeutically useful. Video games have potential to teach coping skills and new outlooks on life. Having a relatable video game character may reduce the stigma around mental disorders, spread awareness and encourage to seek professional help