Exploring the player experience of people with persistent low mood

Games are a popular and accessible hobby which provide a range of emotional and mental benefits. One area they may help with is through alleviating the symptoms of persistent low mood. Games seem to boost mood in a general population but this has not been well-explored in low mood specifically. Additionally, depression (of which persistent low mood is a key symptom) has been associated with some negative effects of gaming. Exploring the player experience of persistent low mood gamers could therefore help inform research around the benefits of gaming for mental health.
The first study examined low mood generally by distributing a qualitative survey asking about the impact of gaming on mood during the Covid-19 pandemic (N=285). Results showed that games seemed generally helpful at improving various moods during this time period, but did not address aspects of persistent low mood specifically. The second study aimed to close this gap by conducting qualitative interviews (N=18) with persistent low mood gamers, asking about gaming preferences, habits and attitudes towards play. Through Reflexive Thematic Analysis, 5 key themes were developed which outlined the impacts of gaming on mood, motivations for persistent low mood players and attitudes towards gaming.
The final study explored the moods and motivations of persistent low mood gamers ‘in the moment’ through the use of a qualitative diary study. These findings found gaming rarely had a negative effect on mood. Additionally, there were a variety of reasons for play identified which had different impacts on mood.
Overall, this thesis made three key contributions to knowledge: 1) People with persistent low mood desire low-effort gaming experiences, 2) Games have an overall positive impact on persistent low mood and this impact motivates play, and 3) Persistent low mood symptoms may reduce the benefits gained from gaming