Video games and disability-a risk and benefit analysis.
Hung Jen Kuo, Michael Yeomans, Derek Ruiz and 1 others
PMID 38496777WHAT IT FOUND
Video games can be used with people with disabilities for rehab, learning, pain, and exercise, but risks like overuse and violent content mean clear goals, careful content choice, and supervision are needed.
Key findings
01The review reports that about 90% of games contain some violent content and 40% include serious violence.
02It estimates that between 0.3% and 1.0% of the general population may qualify for a potential acute diagnosis of Internet Gaming Disorder.
03Active video games have been used in occupational and physical therapy for pain distraction and task-specific rehabilitation of hands, balance, and mobility.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The authors state this is not a systematic review and that readers should interpret the findings cautiously. It summarizes many different games, disabilities, and outcomes, so it does not identify which game is appropriate for a specific patient. It does not report a complete article count, screening method, or quality appraisal of the studies it discusses.
Declared interests
The authors declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, or publication of the article.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat video games as proven therapy for disability. This is a non-systematic review summarizing mixed benefits and risks, not a test of whether a game improves function.