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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteVideo games can support well-being through enjoyment and social connection, and some carefully designed games are used in health-care or therapy settings. But ordinary gaming is not a treatment, and its effects depend on the person, the game, and whether play fits alongside sleep, relationships, and daily responsibilities.
How can video games support mental health?
There is no single mental-health effect of gaming. A game can be a source of fun, a way to spend time with friends, or—in a deliberately designed and appropriately supported setting—part of a health intervention. The same activity can also bring stress, conflict, or lost sleep. The relevant question is not simply whether someone plays, but what role gaming has in that person’s life.
Enjoyment and social connection
Playing with others can provide a shared activity and a way to stay connected. In Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. teen survey, 72% of teen players said they played at least partly to spend time with others; 47% said they had met a friend online through a game, and 47% said gaming had helped their real-world friendships. The American Psychological Association (APA) reported these findings in 2025. They describe teens’ experiences, not proof that gaming causes stronger relationships.
Some players perceive a mental-health benefit
In the same survey, 32% of teen players said video games had helped their mental health, while 60% said games had neither helped nor harmed it. These are self-reports, not clinical assessments or evidence of treatment. They suggest that some young players see a benefit, while most did not report an effect either way.
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Purpose and context matter
Playing for enjoyment or companionship is different from relying on gaming to avoid problems or handle distress alone. Motive by itself does not diagnose a problem, but it can help someone reflect on what gaming is doing for them. The Oxford Internet Institute describes multiple ways gaming may affect mental health, both positive and negative; compulsive play can be associated with anxiety and poorer functioning elsewhere in life. The direction and significance of an effect depend on the circumstances.
When can gaming cause problems?
Gaming can compete with sleep and other parts of life, and online play can expose people to hostile behavior. In Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. teen survey, as summarized by APA in 2025, 41% of teen players said video games had negatively affected their sleep. In the same survey, 80% of teens said bullying was a problem in relation to video game use. These are reported experiences, not estimates of how many players have a mental-health condition.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) says gaming is healthy for most people, while a small proportion experience significant distress or impairment. Its guidance encourages attention to whether gaming excludes other daily activities or coincides with changes in physical or psychological health and social functioning. The WHO’s ICD-11 description of gaming disorder focuses on a persistent pattern—not a particular number of hours.
What the WHO says to watch for
- Impaired control over gaming, such as difficulty managing when, how often, or how long one plays.
- Gaming taking increasing priority over other interests and daily activities.
- Continuing or escalating play despite negative consequences.
- A pattern that results in significant impairment or distress.
High play time alone does not establish gaming disorder. A qualified health professional should assess concerns; a person or family should not try to diagnose the condition from hours played alone. WHO describes the condition as affecting only a small proportion of people who engage in digital or video gaming.
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Are video games a form of therapy?
Some games are deliberately designed for health purposes, and games may be used within therapy or official treatment programs. APA notes that some video games may have mental-health benefits or be used during therapy. WHO’s Regional Office for Europe has also described video games being used in health care and some official treatment programs.
That does not make consumer games treatment by default. The cited sources establish that therapeutic uses exist, but they do not establish that a particular commercial title treats a condition or provide a head-to-head ranking of games for mental-health outcomes. A game used within a health program is distinct from choosing an ordinary game as a substitute for care. Anyone seeking help for a mental-health concern should consult an appropriately qualified professional.
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How to think about your own or a teen’s gaming
A useful check is to look at the pattern and its effects rather than judging gaming in isolation. Consider whether play is mostly enjoyable or social, whether it is crowding out sleep and responsibilities, and whether the social environment feels supportive or involves bullying. Changes in health, relationships, or everyday functioning matter more than a single tally of hours.
For teens, the survey figures offer context, not a verdict about any individual. Many report social reasons for playing; some report a mental-health benefit, while sleep disruption and bullying are also concerns. If gaming is tied to distress, loss of control, or problems at home, school, work, or in relationships, a conversation with a qualified health professional can help clarify what is going on.
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Sources
- American Psychological Association: Video games
- American Psychological Association: Teen video gaming benefits and downsides
- World Health Organization: Gaming disorder Q&A
- World Health Organization: Addictive behaviour
- WHO Regional Office for Europe: Can video games make us healthier?
- Oxford Internet Institute: 13 ways gaming affects your mental health – for better and worse
- World Health Organization: Digital environments and mental health
- American Psychological Association: Gaming to excess: Science-backed interventions can help people press pause
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