Tetris Video Game Reduces Traumatic Memories in NHS Staff, Study Finds
A groundbreaking clinical trial has demonstrated that playing the classic video game Tetris can significantly alleviate distressing traumatic memories in healthcare workers. The research, conducted by experts in the United Kingdom and Sweden, indicates this accessible intervention could transform mental health support for professionals routinely exposed to harrowing situations.
Innovative Intervention for Trauma
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, involved ninety-nine NHS staff members who had experienced work-related trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as witnessing patient deaths. Forty participants received a treatment known as imagery competing task intervention (ICTI), which integrates playing a slow version of Tetris with briefly recalling a traumatic memory.
Professor Emily Holmes, a psychology expert at Uppsala University who led the research, explained the mechanism: "The intervention occupies the brain's visuospatial areas, which are crucial for analysing physical space. This process weakens the vividness and intrusive nature of traumatic memories, reducing their power to hijack attention and trigger unwanted emotions."
Participants were instructed to visualise the Tetris grid and blocks in their mind's eye during the session, enhancing the therapeutic effect. The remaining study subjects either listened to Mozart's music alongside educational podcasts or received standard care, providing a comparative baseline.
Remarkable Reduction in Flashbacks
The results were striking. Within four weeks, the Tetris intervention group experienced ten times fewer traumatic flashbacks compared to the other cohorts. After six months, approximately seventy percent reported having no intrusive memories whatsoever. The treatment also effectively mitigated symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), showcasing its potential as a robust mental health tool.
Professor Holmes emphasised the significance: "We are delighted to have achieved a real breakthrough. This is far more than merely playing Tetris; it is a carefully refined process focusing on mental imagery rather than verbal expression. Designed to be gentle, brief, and practical, it fits seamlessly into busy professional lives."
Scalable Solution for Healthcare Systems
Professor Charlotte Summers, director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, highlighted the broader implications: "Healthcare workers globally face recurrent traumatic exposures, impacting their wellbeing. At a time of intense pressure on health systems, discovering a scalable digital intervention that promotes professional resilience is an exciting advancement."
The research team is now planning to expand trials to larger, more diverse populations and explore a non-guided version of the game to enhance accessibility. Tayla McCloud, digital mental health research lead at Wellcome, which funded the study, noted: "These results are impressive for such a simple intervention. If replicated in bigger trials, the impact could be enormous. Its accessibility, scalability, and adaptability across contexts are rare, and it bypasses language barriers by not requiring verbal trauma articulation."
This study exemplifies innovative approaches to mental health, offering hope for future treatments that are both effective and widely accessible to those in need.
