The London School of Economics has published a new research study about the potential for mobile games to alleviate depression, using Pokemon GO as the main case study.

The study looked at data from when the game was first launched in 2016, with its staggered release across 166 regions in 12 countries allowing them to establish an “experimental” group where the game had been released, and a “control” group where the game had not been released. Levels of depression were measured using Google Trends data for the number of times depression related terms were searched for online.

The research found that Pokemon GO was associated with a significant decrease in the amount of searches for depression related terms in places where it had been released compared to places where it had not been released. The researchers believe that this means that location-based mobile games could be helpful in decreasing local rates of depression by encouraging people to leave their homes for social interaction, physical activity, and exposure to nature, all of which are well documented for their positive effects on mental health.

Regarding the conclusions of this study, co-author Dr Aaron Cheng from the Department of Management at LSE had this to say:

With the uncertainty we are facing every day, mental health plays a vital role in our personal and professional life. Location-based mobile games like Pokémon Go can help alleviate depression, as they facilitate face-to-face socialisation, outdoor physical activity and exposure to nature, all of which are essential to mental health.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.