Hello Legion Gamers!

As some of you may know, this week is Mental Health Awareness Week!

The relationship between games and mental health has been the subject of research and discussion for some time, both in academic research and in public forums. For example, there are studies that suggest that games have a positive impact on helping to cope with depression or anxiety.

And there's more where that came from! Last week, @Blackgem from the Spanish community shared (and translated) an article that discusses this issue in depth and mentioned several therapeutic effects of gaming. There are many examples there that are interesting to think about, like how RPG games adopt the practice of role-playing which has been a psychotherapy element before computers were even invented. Or how games can help to develop social skills through projection.

Thank you for sharing, @Blackgem, it's an interesting read! What I particularly liked about it is that the article also mentioned the games that have a new take on mental health, like Psychonauts and the personification of mental issues this game has, or Hellblade and how its main character is experiencing psychosis. Though I wish they mentioned Josh from WatchDogs 2, his character was an interesting portrayal of an Aspie.

And for those of you who are more into talks than articles, TED's got you covered. Here is a talk about the effects of games on cognitive behavior (with an impressive library of subtitles to boot!). And it even has some exercises that you can do yourselves as you watch to experience the effects firsthand!

It is inspiring to read how games make people feel better and help them in their daily lives. Personally, I find playing video games soothing, and I enjoy the creative element in them, it is inspiring. And by having them as a hobby, I have a common topic of interest with some people (everyone here, for one), and that helps me to be more confident at social gatherings. Those can be stressful otherwise.

What about you, got any story of how playing games makes your life better or easier?