There may be a link between depression risk and how gamers form relationships with their in-game character.
A gamer’s connection to this figure of representation, called avatar, may provide broader insight into their mental health.
Existing research has shown that some players create idealised avatar identities in order to escape or to compensate for psychological distress.
This can then result in larger avatar-self-discrepancies, likely linked to reduced well-being.
So people may make their character appear more attractive or have better abilities compared to their own offline characteristics. Having better social skills is an example.
A new study has revealed that AI models can learn to accurately and automatically identify depression risk cases, based on gamers’ reported User-Avatar-Bond (UAB), age and how long they’ve played.
One of the lead researchers on the study was Dr Vasileios Stavropoulos from RMIT University.
Neos Kosmos spoke with the cyberpsychology expert and clinical psychologist to get a better understanding.
“We thought what if the way users experience their connection with their in-game persona can carry information about who the user is or who they are, and can we find a way to translate that information,” he said.
“What we did is we collected data from gamers around Australia in two waves, one year apart and assessed them in terms of depression, anxiety and stress, and the way they bond with the avatar.”
Dr Stavropoulos likened the UAB to symbolic playing with kids.
In psychology sometimes children are asked about their family using dollhouses and figures to represent their family.
“The same kind of principle appears to apply with what we do online, and it seems to be a very promising way in terms of assessing risk.”
“I mean you have people who suffer from conditions and which make them unable to talk about it, which are more internalised, who would feel ashamed of sharing.
“The paper was about depression risk, not depression diagnosis, so it can identify them timely and it can inform prevention.”
Dr Stavropoulos finds it promising if work continues down the line of using mental health and gaming data to see how the two correlate.
When asked about how a parent, guardian, partner or so on, who aren’t familiar with games, can understand this bond with avatars, Stavropoulos said the best way is for them to join in.
“It depends on the level of familiarisation that one has with what gaming is… and the capacities it carries,” he said.
“If they are adequately familiarised, I think they can see the connection but I think the best way for them to understand is just to ask them to customise an avatar.
“The moment they get into the process of customising even the appearance features like the height, they’ll definitely be self-reflective about why they do certain things and what that means to them.”
Some gamers have also found themselves comparing their own life to the life of their video game character, especially if a game’s world and characters and deeply built.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an example of a game that has a strong character creator and writing, very realistic at times.
It’s a role-playing game (RPG) set in a dystopian future where humans can be enhanced with cybernetics. Lots of themes like life and death are explored and romance options are present, like many other RPG’s, but this game has very realistic relationships and character interaction.
Many gamers online have commented about how this game made them think about their own life.
Stavropoulos agrees that comparisons can cultivate awareness, its an automated process, but he also stresses that games themselves don’t make people depressed.
“What we do know is they are never the causing factors of mental health issues, they could be the exacerbators of pre-existing, predisposing or precipitating factors, but they are never the cause.”
He said if one doesn’t enjoy their life and plays a game where they feel satisfied, they’ll inevitably compare the way they feel in the game, or their experience with real life.
“I may become more sad or more disillusioned about my real life but that’s not the reason that I’m depressed.”
“What we do know with games and digital means is that initially they act as digital painkillers for mental health issues. People go there to find some relief, but gradually some of us might become excessively engaged and problems in reality become bigger.
“No one can say that because you play a game, you become depressed, that’s never the case.”
Recently the Australian gaming industry gathered for Melbourne International Gaming Week, Asia-Pacific’s largest digital games celebration.
Stavropoulos presented at the Games for Change festival, speaking on how games are driving health innovation and making a difference.
It was there that he noticed there is a stream of developers in the city and students who are interested in this field.
There has long been a stigma toward gaming, especially from older generations who didn’t grow up with it, or the industry wasn’t as big in their time.
“The question is can Neos Kosmos and the Greek community, can we to an extent, act as a catalyst and foster this kind of revolutionised use of digital media and also break this kind of prejudices, instead of cultivating them within our community?”
“We shouldn’t stigmatise a part of our community.”
Stavropoulos said it’s how you use gaming – you can use a knife to cut or you can use a knife to kill.
“That’s what it is. I think we should boast this kind of awareness about the positives of (gaming) use.”
