Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41566338›Full record

ArticleTrials2026

The impact of gaming on functioning among people with schizophrenia: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (GAME-A).

Maritta Välimäki, Maija Satamo, Min Yang, Tero Vahlberg

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in Trials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05707689 (The Impact of Gaming on Functioning Among People With Schizophrenia), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05707689 naunknown statusnot on this map

The Impact of Gaming on Functioning Among People With Schizophrenia: a Randomised Controlled Trial (GAME-A)

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of TurkuRan2023 to 2025Enrolled356ConditionsPsychotic DisorderArmsEntertainment gaming
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Maritta VälimäkiDepartment of Public Health, Helsinki University Hospital, Nursing Research Center (NRC), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, 00014, Finland. maritta.valimaki@helsinki.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7234-2454
Maija SatamoFaculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, 20014, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6664-6259
Min YangFaculty of Health, Art and Design, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, 3122, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3777-1813
Tero VahlbergDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, 20014, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4935-3056

Funding

Helsingin Yliopisto 73715712State Research Funding in the Wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland Varha 30004Turun Yliopisto 26002441Turun Yliopisto TY/197/2023Turun yliopiston tutkijakoulu DPNurs/UTUGS
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGaming interventions hold promising potential for methods of mental health treatment. Games designed for individuals with serious mental illness have demonstrated high acceptability. They have been shown to improve treatment engagement and increase a sense of self-efficacy and social integration. However, concerns remain over the potential adverse effects of regular gaming. Therefore, to investigate both the benefits and the risks, there is a need for well-designed, -conducted and -reported high-quality trials. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a gaming intervention in improving functional and clinical outcomes in people with psychotic disorders and to assess the feasibility of the intervention.

methodsThe effectiveness of the gaming intervention will be assessed using a controlled clinical trial with a pragmatic, multicentre, two-arm parallel-group design. The participants will be recruited from various types of outpatient units (e.g. outpatient psychiatric units, day hospitals, residential care homes). Following the baseline assessment, participants will be centrally randomised (1:1) to receive either the gaming intervention plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. The primary outcome will be the change in social functioning, measured at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The secondary outcomes will include the patients' major psychiatric symptoms, self-efficacy, quality of life, and aggression and potential adverse effects, also measured at 3 and 6 months. We will also test the feasibility of the gaming intervention from the perspectives of patients and nursing staff at a 3-month follow-up. Data will be collected from outpatient psychiatric services across Finland. Eligible participants will be between 18 and 60 years old and have a formal diagnosis of a psychotic disorder (F20-F29). We aim to recruit a total of 356 participants (178 for each group). We will estimate the efficacy of the intervention on the primary and secondary outcomes based on the intention-to-treat principle. Feasibility data will be analysed separately. DISCUSSION: This study will be one of the first trials to address the effectiveness of video gaming on improving functional and clinical outcomes in people with schizophrenia. The study will offer new information to confirm both the benefits and possible disadvantages of using gaming to improve patients' health and well-being as new approaches to patient care in mental health services in Finland are explored. The results may provide insight into treatment for other health conditions in which motivational problems impact health outcomes.

trial registrationNCT05707689 . Registered on 21 January 2023.

Indexed as

SchizophreniaSchizophrenic PsychologyVideo GamesAdolescentAdultFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMulticenter Studies as TopicPragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicQuality of LifeSelf EfficacyTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultEffectivenessGamingPsychotic disorderRandomised controlled trialSchizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID41566338
PMCPMC12908379

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.