by Mayer, Gwendolyn ¹, Perlea, Victor ¹

• ¹ Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg

This is the extended version, for the abridged version click here
The introduction and overview can be found here

Disclaimer:We have compiled this information to the best of our knowledge based on current scientific literature (as of May 2026). However, we do not provide diagnosis or treatment recommendations. If you notice any mental health concerns in yourself or in a child or adolescent in your care, please consult a medical doctor.

What is meant by “serious gaming”?

Serious gaming is a relatively new approach to supporting various aspects of health through the use of games on computers, mobile phones or virtual reality devices: for example, games can improve health literacy, build skills for rehabilitation after a stroke or a heart attack, and last not least promote emotional and cognitive wellbeing.
Several literature reviews exist that show first evidence on the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of serious gaming for adolescent mental health.

Recent findings on serious gaming for adolescent mental health

Gamification is an effective learning strategy for children and adolescents to build mental health skills: Xie (2022): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.003
Many games on mental health literacy and prevention provide an overarching storyline. Studies show a short-term efficacy and effectiveness of serious games in improving aspects of mental health literacy. Small samples and low user adherence limit these positive observations: Zeiler et al. (2025): https://doi.org/10.2196/67418
The majority of existing studies on symptom improvement have focused on functionality and feasibility. There is a substantial lack of studies on effectiveness. More studies with younger adolescents focus on anxiety, while studies including older adolescents more often aim at improving depressive symptoms: Marinez et al. (2021): https://doi.org/10.2196/30482

References for this article are here