Mental health care for young people using video games: a pilot RCT on the development of a new intervention method toward Hikikomori and Futōkō

Abstract

Background: Young people in their teens and twenties don’t seek treatment immediately for mental health issues. This is due to the perceived stigma linked to mental health, pragmatic inconveniences to reach clinical settings, and the tediousness to seek help or engage with adults in traditional ways. Alternative approaches aside from drugs administration are needed. Method: We conducted an internet-delivered pilot randomized controlled trial directed to Hikikomori and Futōkō experienced subjects. This study aimed to understand the difference in efficacy for an intervention using a fictional story vs factual scientific information (self-aid texts), as well as the feasibility of an internet delivered program .. Evaluation of emotional transportation and mental health related measures were administered at base line before the program and at one week after the completion of the program. Results: 40 participants were enrolled. A post-intervention (T2) Independent T-student showed that Emotional Transportation was significantly lower for the intervention group than for the control group at T2. Relaxation was significantly higher for the intervention group than for the control group at T2. For the other outcome variables, the difference was not statistically significant.  An ANCOVA showed that there was a significant effect of groups on emotional transportation (lower in the intervention group). There was a significant effect of groups on empathy (lower in the intervention group); for the other variables the effects of groups were not detected. Conclusions: The results showed a significant diminishment in emotional transportation and empathy for the interventional group contradicting the hypothesis that an enhancement of emotional transportation mediates the positive mental health effects. A marginal improvement in relaxation in the intervention group (T-test) was found. In the posthoc analysis, the positive effects on the relaxation of pre-intervention (habitual) high emotional status of participants were confirmed. This trial is registered with UMIN, ID UMIN000044204.