Pokémon Go as a tool to combat mental disorders.

Can Nintendo's game help people with psychological difficulties?

Probably by now, almost everyone will be familiar with the Pokémon video game franchise, whether it's the anime seriesvideo game franchise, whether from its anime series, comic books, collectible card games or any of its wide range of spin-off products. But undoubtedly, the biggest milestone of this franchise has been the release of its first mobile video game called Pokémon Go.

What therapeutic opportunities does Pokémon Go offer us?

Pokémon Go is an application for Android and iOs operating systems in which its main attraction is its augmented reality-type gameplay, through which, making use of the smartphone's camera and GPS, we can capture Pokémon while walking down the street. Psychologist Adrian Triglia already commented in another article several of the features of the game that has turned Pokémon Go into a kind of worldwide fever.

It is a video game that has very simple mechanics, you simply have to look at the mobile, throw Pokéballs with some aim and tapping at some points, but the key mechanics are the collectibles, taking advantage of a universe already known as Pokémon.

An unprecedented revolution

The revolution caused by the launch of this videogame has been totally unexpected and unique.. It has boosted in just seven days, the shares of Nintendo (main developer of Pokémon) by 93%, which is a historic milestone in the history of video games. Following this, Nintendo promised to publish on July 27 the results for the first fiscal year between the months of April and June, in order to announce the milestone.

On a social level, the impact of Pokémon Go has been totally surprising**, populating the streets around the world with young people (and not so young) with their smartphones to catch Pokémon**, causing large concentrations of young people in parks and monuments without causing major disturbances. For example, we have the example of the massive concentration of people in Central Park, only because of the appearance of a rare Pokémon. Here is a link to more information about the event.

At this point, it is possible that many people are alarmed by these events, labeling this phenomenon as madness, however, it is important and interesting to analyze the utilities that this video game can have as a tool to, for example, treat diseases or mental disorders, given its impact.

Discovering the therapeutic power of Pokémon Go

There are many accidents and curious anecdotes caused by the Pokémon Go phenomenon that have become known during these days. What people do not know so much is that there are already cases of people suffering from some series of mental disorders who, through social networks, are exposing that this video game is helping them to combat their problems, as shown by John M. Grohol in a post published in the blog of Psychcentral.

The truth of all this is that Pokémon Go is becoming one of the most powerful tools in the world, capable of making millions of people go for long walks; which is much more than any other fitness app has managed to do. But beyond the Cardiovascular applications that this video game can have, it can also have a strong implication in the treatment of mental disorders. such as anxiety or depressive disorders.

Side effects: Nintendo's video game could fight depression

Depressive disorders, generally according to the DSM-V (2013), are characterized by a depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, lack of appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, excessive fatigue, etc.

Thanks to the contribution of numerous people on social networks, we can see how Pokémon Go, thanks to the revolution it has caused, is getting many people with depression to go outside to catch Pokémon and exercise., causing their mood to improve and their appetite to increase due to the exercise performed, which causes a regulation of sleep and an activation of the body during long walks that eliminates the "false" fatigue that these people suffer.

Pokémon Go against anxiety and social phobia

For people suffering from anxiety, the benefits are just as striking. Anxiety-derived disorder, most common in the non-adult population, usually takes the form of social phobia, now called social anxiety disorder according to DSM-V (2013).

This disorder is characterized by intense fear or anxiety during the exposure of the individual who suffers from itto social situations in which there are more people than the individual's most intimate circle. This usually results in flight and avoidance behaviors, leading the individual to confine themselves at home due to the great fear they feel.

Thanks to the strong sense of community that has been generated among Pokémon Go players and the great feeling of inclusion they are experiencing, the prosocial behaviors performed among them are leading many people with social phobia problems to overcome their fears. Facing their fears with the goal of catching Pokémon and being doubly rewarded with the rewards of the video game and the great global acceptance among "trainers", is turning the game into a very powerful tool to overcome or mitigate these difficulties..

Some conclusions and reflections

It is still too early to establish causal relationships between Pokémon Go and people's psyche since at the moment, this video game brings a still limited experience. However, the initial impact, as we can see, has been historic and has managed to create a movement that escapes from what has been established so far in the community gamer communityIt has moved the gaming context from the bedroom or the dining room to the streets of the city and has produced, in a very short time, experiences of improvement for people with mental disorders of the depressive or anxious type.

Since Pokémon Go's journey has only just begun, its possibilities are still unknown. However, we know that with proper use, this video game could become a turning point in terms of the use of these as therapeutic tools to treat mental disorders. Undoubtedly, the research conducted through this movement will be very productive and interesting for the entire community of psychologists.