Two Parc researchers are leaders in games and video games benefiting mental health
• The experiences of nurse Andrea Fontán and psychologist Paula Cristóbal inspired participants at the latest Inner Gamers XP event in Terrassa
• The event, organised by Delaguila Games, brought together nearly 400 participants over three days, around 130-140 people per day
The latest Inner Gamers XP event, organised by Delaguila Games, gathered around 400 people over three days at Vapor Prodis in Terrassa. Welcoming around 130 participants each day, the event has become a meeting point for professionals from various fields. Attendees included university and vocational education and training teachers and students looking to devise board and video games to help improve the mental health of people with certain mental disorders, foster their social inclusion and counter stigma. The experience of the two Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) researchers in creating games kicked off the first two days.
A card game for people with schizophrenia
One of the first talks was given by Andrea Fontán, a specialist mental health nurse, psychologist and researcher at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (SJD). Fontán presented Andy's Mind, a card game created in conjunction with people with psychosis, one of whom illustrated the cards. This game is designed to address symptoms, treatments, side effects and protective and relapse factors in a fun and accessible way. Fontán is also the creator of a second card game on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), “a real design and accessibility challenge,” she noted. In Terrassa, she shared her experience with Marc, an autistic person who talked about his experiences, difficulties and challenges, and argued that "autism is often misunderstood, and strengths such as our attention to detail are not sufficiently recognised".
Fontán, together with David Gómez, a teacher on the Advanced Video Game Design and Development programme at LCI Barcelona, led a workshop held as a board game creation jam. The session was geared towards raising awareness of and understanding the challenges faced by people with autism. Six game prototypes emerged from this creative jam, which both professionals rated very highly.
A video game to improve the inclusion of migrants
The experience of Paula Cristóbal, PhD in psychology and biology and postdoctoral researcher at Parc Sanitari SJD, enabled participants in the second session to learn how to build a video game to promote social inclusion. Cristóbal described her project with a group of young migrants from the Raval neighbourhood together with Tot Raval and Fran Delaguila. Osama, one of the young people who took part in this initiative, made his video game with Minecraft when he had only recently moved to Barcelona. “I learned a great deal from this opportunity,” he said.
Inspired by this experience, Inner Gamers XP participants have also designed their own video game using Minecraft. This time round, they were asked to construct a narrative, build meaningful spaces, devise dialogues between characters and consider the consequences of the main character's actions. The creative process enabled them to gain greater insight into the realities of migration and the difficulties faced by people who go through it, generating a deeper understanding of uprooting, settling in and building a new future far from the home country.
