title: Attitudes toward a game-based approach to mental health.
abstract: Based on preliminary research, game-based treatments appear to be a promising approach to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, attitudes toward this novel approach must be better understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine if video game self-efficacy mediates the relationship between expectations and reactions to a game-based treatment for PTSD. Participants played the serious game "Walk in My Shoes" (Novonics Corp., Orlando, FL) and completed a series of scales to measure attitudes toward the intervention. Video game self-efficacy was found to be a partial mediator of expectancies and reactions. These results suggest that enhancing attitudes via self-efficacy in a clinical setting may maximize treatment effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: RETRO Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida.
authors.forename: Christine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
authors.forename: Clint A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bowers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000628:therapy; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult