A Randomized Controlled Trial Examining Parent-Child Play as an Adjunct to Biofeedback Game-Based Emotion Regulation Learning (Preprint)

Abstract

Emotion regulation (ER) skill-building is important to child development and behavioral health. Evidence-based digital emotion regulation learning tools are available for in-home use, including single-player game-based interventions. Parent-child interactive interventions also have demonstrated effectiveness in child emotion regulation learning.

The current study examines the effects of an evidence-based single-player emotion regulation skill building biofeedback video game on child irritability and parent-child relationship, when used alone and with adjunctive parent-child structured play.

Forty-one parent-child dyads participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing a group of child participants who played only online ER learning biofeedback video games to a group of child participants who played online ER learning biofeedback video games and additionally, with a participating parent, played interactive offline games with ER learning biofeedback elements.

We found that playing online ER learning biofeedback video games resulted in statistically significant reductions in irritability and child-parent conflict for child and parent study participants, regardless of group assignment. Over 90% of parents reported improvements in their child’s overall emotion regulation.

This study contributes to evidence that at-home digital mental health interventions can be effective. Further study is needed to explore factors contributing to parent-child emotional and relational dynamics and to develop effective evidence-based parent-child interactive interventions for at-home use.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05080647