The Effects of Playing an Action Video Game on Reducing Anxiety and Depression: A Comparison with Journaling

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of playing an action video game, Boson X, on anxiety and depression compared to journaling. From South Korea, 42 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to gaming (n = 21) and journaling (n = 21) groups. The intervention continued for 6 weeks. Changes in anxiety and depression levels were checked at 3-week intervals for 9 weeks, including pre-, mid- (week 3), post- (week 6), and follow-up points (week 9). The results revealed that university students’ anxiety and depression in both the gaming and journaling groups were significantly reduced over time. Additionally, reduced anxiety and depression were retained for another 3 weeks after the intervention ended in both the gaming and journaling groups. This study suggests that playing an action game may offer an alternative approach to reducing anxiety and depression in the Korean context.