One study found that playing video games can help reduce symptoms of PTSD, including nightmares and severe anxiety.

Dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? A novel study has shown that playing video games can help reduce symptoms of the condition, which can cause nightmares and severe anxiety. The study, published in BMC Medicine, provides “scientifically controlled evidence that a single guided digital therapy session can reduce the number of intrusive memories.”

How can video games relieve post-traumatic stress?

It can also be used safely in patients, said researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Unpleasant and intrusive memories of a traumatic event in the form of mental images or flashbacks are typical symptoms of PTSD. Avoidance, excessive stress, and problems with sleep and concentration are others.

The team observed intrusive memories of trauma in 164 participants for one week. Half the group was asked to play Tetris – a video game – while the other half, or the control group, was asked to listen to the radio.

At the heart of Tetris is a concept known as mental rotation. When a participant looks at an object from one angle, the person can imagine what it would look like if it were rotated to a different position and viewed from a different angle.

Professor Emily Holmes of Uppsala University said that just one guided treatment session showed positive results, showing that “it is possible to reduce the frequency of unpleasant and intrusive memories of the trauma”. Holmes noted that if “trauma can be reduced through an everyday tool that includes video gaming, it could be an accessible way to help many people”.