Despite an increasing amount of research pointing to the utility of digital therapy (including video game interventions) in treating mild and moderate cases of mental illness, such interventions have yet to be integrated in real life clinical settings. This project aims to bring SPARX-R, a game-based mental health intervention program, to youth experiencing the onset of psychotic episodes. SPARX-R is a video game that functions as a medium for youth to access Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based treatment. This project will assess SPARX’s effects on improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and quality of life, while also evaluating the clinic’s capacity to offer this digital intervention.
Research Team: Lead Investigator Dr Manuela Ferrari along with Geoff Meugens, Judith Sabetti, and Michael Serravelle. In partnership with the University of Oakland, adapted from New Zealand.
Sponsors:
The Douglas Foundation
FRQS-Fonds de recherche Santé
National Bank
Healthy Brains Healthy Lives
