Having spent many years researching this area of study, and realising it too often affects young people, Darren thought the best way to reach out to those suffering from anxiety and depression, was through an app to help increase accessibility of mental health support within a format for many young people engage in. This new idea is referred to as ‘gamification of mental health’ and has proved successful in reaching struggling young people, who wouldn’t necessarily have reached out due to the stigma that still seems to surround mental health problems.
The idea of the game is to go through the story of a man who has been through a lot of traumatic experiences and has hit rock bottom. The aim of the game is to help him overcome the difficult thoughts and feelings he faces through developing acceptance and values orientation is his life. The game focuses on how you move through trauma and rewards the player when you open to difficult emotional experiences rather than trying to avoid or suppress them. This becomes a key factor in progressing through the game, by using ACT-based skills to address your emotions and understand how to move forward.
