Healthy Gamer Coaching - an evidence-based peer support tool

The Healthy Gamer Coaching Program is an evidence-based peer-coaching model that aims to bridge the gap in mental health with affordable, online coaching. 

We initially designed Healthy Gamer Coaching as a peer support system for people who struggle with video game addiction. We hypothesized that improving a person's sense of life purpose would be beneficial for them to overcome their problematic gaming habits. However, it turned out that coaching can help clients with more than just gaming addiction — it results in wins in all aspects of life. To ensure that coaching is an evidence-based mental health support tool we have initiated Institutional Review Board (research ethics committee) approved studies of our program.

We use PROMIS, a set of person-centered measures designed by the National Institute of Health to monitor physical, mental, and social health in adults and children. The PROMIS questionnaire helps us measure whether the Healthy Gamer Coaching Program positively impacts a person's sense of life purpose and feelings of control and agency in their life.

It is crucial to use a well-researched, validated, and publicly available instrument for research purposes. Therefore, we use a combination of PROMIS and NeuroQol-Awareness questionnaires to measure purpose and awareness in our clients and conduct our studies [1].

The achievement of physical health and wellbeing involves more than just medicine. Similarly, the achievement of mental health involves more than just therapy. HG Coaching aims to help a person thrive and get from 0 to 100 instead of just helping a person get from -100 to 0. Since the questions in the PROMIS questionnaire represent going from neutral to thriving, it is a great fit to measure the outcomes of our coaching program.

Our outcomes show a 32% improvement in the sense of life purpose and a 25% improvement in the sense of control in our clients.

1. Cella, David, et al. "The neurology quality-of-life measurement initiative." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 92.10 (2011): S28-S36.