Playing Video Games Can Actually Improve Our Mental Health, According to a Study

On average, gamers spend more than 6 hours a week gaming. While playing too much can cause your eyes to strain and trigger migraines, when played occasionally, gaming can actually contribute to a lot of health benefits.

Experts have found that playing games may be good for our health. Bright Side made a list of all the key points from the study.

How the study was conducted

To figure out whether gaming improves our mental health or has a positive effect on our daily lives, 33 people from age 55 to 75 were selected. They were divided into 3 groups. Group one was asked to play Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day, group 2 was given piano lessons, and group 3 was not assigned any task.

The results revealed that gaming might be good for us.

After 6 months, they were asked to take an MRI scan. According to the report, only the individuals who belonged to group one — those with the task of gaming — experienced an increase in the gray matter of their brain. Their short-term memory improved, as well as their mental health.

There’s more research to back up the claim.

Back in 2014, a series of similar studies were conducted by the same researchers with young adults as their subjects. They were asked to play 3D puzzles and logic games and they too showed an improvement in their brain because of gaming.

Another study done by the American Association of Psychology revealed that playing games that are easy can improve a person’s mood, relieve anxiety, and calm them down.

Here’s what gaming can do for you.

• Video games can help in building problem-solving skills in children.
• They can help you relieve pain caused by chronic illness.
• They might even make you smarter.
• Games like Tetris can help patients with trauma.

Does playing games make you feel better? What kind of games do you play?