Detecting and Monitoring Depression Using Video Games Will Become Possible Soon

Who said that video games could not be made for serious purposes and medical applications? Sure, their primary role is to entertain people. The age-old conception that video games are just for kids is also obsolete.

According to DigitalHealth.net, scientists from London prepare a new and intriguing method to tackle depression in a faster and more efficient way: using an AI platform known as Thymia. Furthermore, the patients will have to simply play some video games in order for the experts to find out more about their mental health. The new method aims to find out if depression has kicked in or to see if a certain treatment for the mental disorder works.

No more completing surveys

The scientists’ idea implies having the patients get rid of the paperwork. Instead, they’ll simply have to have fun in order to provide relevant information about their medical issues, if there are any. The games involve for the patient to memorize specific objects that move around, and data related to video, voice, and behavior will be assessed. The idea may sound awkward, but the games from the Thymia platform are based on aspects like machine learning, neuropsychology, and more.

Thousands of patients are trialing the software, and we can have high expectations. Dr. Emilia Molimpakis, the CEO and co-founder of Thymia, is very confident in the software. She declared as quoted by DigitalHealth.net:

Thymia is bringing psychiatry into the 21st Century, with an AI-enabled platform for accurate and continuous patient monitoring.

It’s the first objective psychiatric assessment system, combining multiple layers of rich physiological data to assess depression and distinguish between similarly presenting disorders.

Video games are so widespread nowadays that it just feels normal to engage in playing them. Gaining even some medical benefits is awesome, and we would like to know your own opinion expressed in the comment section!