Smartphone game shows promise as an add-on to antidepressants
A game that rewards taking medication, sleeping, and eating on schedule may help people whose antidepressants aren’t fully working. In a trial of 148 adults, a program built around the game reduced depression and anxiety and improved medication adherence.
A smartphone game called Fig, designed to support adults with depression while they continue taking antidepressants, showed promise in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, according to a Swedish study. The nine-week trial, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, involved 148 participants who received Fig along with optional online cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) modules and on-demand therapist support.
The game, which encourages healthy routines like medication adherence, sleep, meals, and physical activity, had participants complete an average of 81 sessions. Compared to a waitlist control group, the treatment group experienced moderately greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores, with 51% of treatment participants improving by at least 30%.
However, quality of life did not differ between the groups. The study suggests that combining antidepressants with digital psychological interventions through smartphones may improve mental health and medication adherence, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.
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