The positive impact playing Tetris can have on your mental health
Playing this classic video game can reduce memories of trauma
- Playing the classic video game Tetris could help reduce distressing memories following trauma, according to a new trial.
- Researchers found that NHS health workers who played a slow version of Tetris as part of a treatment called Imagery Competing Task Intervention (ICTI) experienced a significant reduction in flashbacks.
- The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, involved 99 NHS staff exposed to traumatic events during the Covid-19 pandemic, with those receiving ICTI having 10 times fewer flashbacks within four weeks.
- After six months, 70 per cent of participants who received the Tetris intervention reported having no intrusive memories, and the treatment also helped tackle symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Experts are now keen to expand testing of the method, which they describe as accessible, scalable, and adaptable, to a broader population.
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