
New Books in Psychology Federico Alvarez Igarzábal and Emmanuel Guardiola, "Video Games and Mental Health: Perspectives of Psychology and Game Design" (Transcript Publishing, 2024)
Jan 31, 2026
Emmanuel Guardiola, academic bridging psychology and game design, and Federico Alvarez Igarzábal, game designer turned researcher, discuss how games engage mental health themes. They compare therapeutic applied games and auteur entertainment, recount COVID's role in the field, explore autobiographical and empathetic representations, and consider ethical, design, and clinical collaboration challenges.
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Pandemic Shift In Game-Mental Health Thinking
- COVID accelerated interest in games as tools for social connection and mental-health support.
- Emmanuel Guardiola and Federico Alvarez Igarzábal cite pandemic lockdowns and research projects as catalysts for the book.
Two Converging Domains In Games
- The volume distinguishes applied clinical games from auteur entertainment games exploring personal mental-health narratives.
- Both domains now inspire and borrow from each other, creating crossovers in practice and design.
Editors Embrace Diverse Voices
- Editors enjoyed reading contrasting voices from academics and game developers side-by-side.
- They deliberately kept different styles to let readers explore varied perspectives.

