ArticleJournal of eating disorders2025
The journey of playing: a qualitative evaluation of 'Maze Out,' a serious game for eating disorders.
Article in Journal of eating disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Maze-Out: A Serious Game to Enhance Treatment for Eating Disorders. A Randomized Controlled Trial.The International journal of eating disorders · 2025Trial
- Finding meaning in the Maze (Out): a co-produced reflexive thematic analysis of patients' reflection tasks.Journal of eating disorders · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA critical barrier to adherence and engagement with digital mental health interventions is the lack of patient identification with these solutions, often due to designs that do not incorporate the patients' direct needs and perspectives. We investigated the experiences of Maze Out, a digital game co-produced by patients with eating disorders (EDs), clinicians working in the EDs field, and game experts when used as a therapeutic adjunct alongside treatment as usual (TAU).
methodsSeven patients over 18 years old with an ED diagnosis receiving TAU at treatment institutions in Denmark, along with two relatives, three clinicians, and two support workers (collectively referred to as caregivers), participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed separately for patients and caregivers. The analysis iwas focused on the overall experience of playing Maze Out, its impact on understanding interpersonal relationships with caregivers, and its potential to provide insights into EDs-related challenges. Additionally, we investigated whether Maze Out contributes to reducing the shame associated with EDs symptoms and behaviors.
resultsThree themes emerged for patients: (1) 'Joy of Playing: A Place Where You Can Be Yourself', (2) 'Good Enough: Autonomy Without Shame', and (3) 'Aha Experience: Insight and Courage to Think Differently'. For caregivers, three themes were also identified: (1) 'Understanding the ED Universe of Someone You Care ForFor, (2) 'A Place to Meet, and (3) 'Dialogue & Taboos. '
conclusionOur findings suggest that digital interventions for EDs should foster joy and promote patient autonomy. The game functioned as a transitional object, making the experience of EDs and their challenges more comprehensible and approachable. Tools like Maze Out can also help relatives, clinicians, and support workers better understand and gain the underlying causes of EDs, improving awareness and support.
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Registered trials
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