Pokémon Go, useful to combat mental disorders

Probably today, Almost everyone will know the Pokémon video game franchise, either for these or for their anime series, for their comics, for their collectible card games or for any of their wide range of derivative products. But without a doubt, the biggest milestone of this franchise has been the premiere of its first mobile video game called Pokemon 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 reality-type gameplay increased, through which, using the camera and the smartphone's GPS, we can capture Pokémon while we walk through the Street. The psychologist Adrian Triglia already commented in another article several of the game's features that have turned Pokémon Go into something of a world fever.

It is a video game that has very simple mechanics, you just have to look at your mobile, throw Pokéballs with a certain aim and tapas in some moments, but the key mechanics are the collectibles, taking advantage of an already known universe such as that of Pokemon.

An unprecedented revolution

The revolution caused by the launch of this video game 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 historical milestone in the history of video games. As a result of this, Nintendo promised to publish the results corresponding to the first fiscal year between the months of April and June on July 27, in order to publicize the milestone.

On a social level, the impact of Pokémon Go has been totally surprising **, populating the streets of 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 disturbances important. Without going any further, we have the example of the massive concentration of people in Central Park, solely due to the appearance of a rare Pokémon. We leave you here a link for more information about the event that occurred.

At this point, it is possible that many people are alarmed by these events, calling this phenomenon crazy, without However, it is important and interesting to analyze the utilities that this video game can have as a tool for, for example, try mental illnesses or 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 that, Through social networks, they are stating that this video game is helping them fight their problems, just as we show John M. Grohol in a post published on 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 taking millions of people out for long kilometers; which is much more than any other application of fitness. But Beyond the cardiovascular applications that this video game may have, it may also have a strong implication in the treatment of mental disorders Like the ones of anxiety or the depressive pictures.

Side Effects: Nintendo's Video Game Could Fight Depression

Depressive disorders, generally according to DSM-V (2013), are characterized by a depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure from 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 out to catch Pokémon and exercise, causing the mood of these to improve and increase their appetite due to the exercise carried out, which causes a sleep regulation 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 amazing. Anxiety-derived disorder, more common in the non-adult population, usually presents in the form of social phobia, currently 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 it, to social situations in which there are a number of people greater than their inner circle. Which usually leads to 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 that they are experiencing, the prosocial behaviors carried out between them, are leading many people with social phobia problems to overcome their fears. The fact of facing her fears in order to capture Pokémon and be rewarded doubly 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 the psyche of people since at the moment, this video game provides a still limited experience. However, the initial impact, as we can see, has been historical and has managed to create a movement that escapes what has been established so far in the community gamer, moving the context of the game from the room or the dining room, to the streets of the city and producing, in a very short time, experiences of overcoming people with mental disorders of the depressive type or anxious.

Since the path of Pokémon Go 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. Without a doubt, the research carried out through this movement will be very productive and interesting for the entire community of psychologists.