Video games can be useful therapeutic tools too, says study |
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Sun, 17 Jul 2005 01:05
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LONDON: Video games, contrary to popular belief that they create aggressive behaviour, can ease pain, distract patients under chemotherapy and even help them to develop dexterity, according to an expert.
Says Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling studies at Nottingham Trent University in an article in British Medical Journal: they can be distraction for children undergoing painful treatment. In fact, computer games can aid children's health and they do not deserve a wholly negative reputation.
"The degree of attention needed to play such a game can distract the player from the sensation of pain," he wrote in the Journal.
Griffiths said his studies revealed that the games have therapeutic benefits for adult populations, including wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries, people with severe burns and people with muscular dystrophy.
He said patients with arm injuries can use the games to increase strength and dexterity, while children with learning disabilities can play them to develop spatial ability. The games can also help children with attention deficit disorders gain social skills.
However, violent games, like violent films, can lead to aggression in some.
Griffiths contents that wrist pain, hallucinations and repetitive strain injuries associated with the use of video games could be temporary phenomena and could be caused by other factors.
He suggested that more studies need to be carried out to assess the long-term effects of video games and what constitutes excessive use.
Griffiths had been on his study for 15 years and he said he found that children undergoing chemotherapy and treatment for sickle cell anemia had benefited from being given games to distract them. They had less nausea and the painkillers used were less.
He cited the instance of an eight-year-old boy who was instinctively forced to pick his lip, causing scarring. While other forms of treatment had failed, he was given a hand-held video game to distract him and this worked.
In another case, a video game was effectively used as a physiotherapy measure in a 13-year-old boy suffering from Erb's palsy. The games are useful even in people with spinal injuries, Griffiths said.
Griffiths' article takes note of the ongoing studies into the harmful side-effects of excessive video games, especially among young boys. But, says he: "On balance, there is little evidence that moderate frequency of play has serious adverse effects, but more evidence is needed on excessive play and on defining what constitutes excess in the first place."
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