Gamification App Design Based on Augmented Reality Technique for Depression Rehabilitation

Abstract

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders nowadays, and its causes are influenced by many factors such as family, personality, emotions, upbringing, and learning process. Usually, depressed patients are sensitive and pessimistic about all kinds of things, and they will show extreme emotions such as pain and misanthropy, and finally they may even have suicidal tendencies and behaviors. Gamification, on the other hand, is considered a reliable way to regulate depression and enhance the sense of experience and accomplishment; meanwhile, in the medical field, gamification has been used as a method to improve treatment compliance and participation. Therefore, in order to address the emotional regulation and self-management of depressed patients in the recovery pathway, augmented reality technology will be combined with the recovery process to design a gamified recovery aid. The design will use audience population interview method, follow-up interview method, questionnaire method, and literature search method for research verification, in-depth analysis of the psychological and realistic needs of depressed patients, formulation of software framework, rehabilitation model and game mechanics through their mapped design points, and enhancement of the visibility and participation of the rehabilitation game through emerging augmented reality means. The software consists of five main modules: game, daily plan, achievement, communication, and record, which regulates patients’ depression through gamification and adjusts the game process based on daily records to reduce their depression and increase their motivation for recovery, thus assisting their self-management and recovery.