A gamified solution to brief interventions for nightlife well-being

Abstract

This paper addresses a specific type of intervention for health and wellbeing, i.e., brief interventions during nightlife events, aimed at improving partygoers’ awareness of the risks related to the consumption of psychoactive substances. It is argued that a gamified modality would help overcome some limiting contextual constraints while preserving the seriousness of the intervention purpose. To support this last point, the paper describes two studies (N = 227, N = 81 respectively). The first study was conducted in the field; it was found that after a game session, users’ self-reported awareness of nightlife risks increased significantly from pre-session scores. In addition, users evaluated the intervention as credible in terms of its accuracy, novelty, and contextual appropriateness. The second study showed, under controlled laboratory conditions, that the number of correct answers about substance consumption consequences, substance characteristics, and risk prevention choices improved after the game session. Together, these studies suggest that using gamification as an attractor would not compromise the serious goals of this intervention modality.