T hi s t e e na ge r i s de v e l opi ng a v i de o ga me t ha t a s s e s s e s y our me nt a l he a l t h Should you bring your pet pig to a party? A teen’s video game inspired by “Minecraft” assesses mental health. Photo: Mojang Photo: Mojang Rasha Alqahtani is an 18-year-old from Saudi Arabia. Last year, she had a busy schedule for a high schooler. At one point, she had 35 Zoom calls booked. That's because she was working on a project. Alqahtani was building a video game tool. Her goal was to help teenagers with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD is a condition. People with GAD can get very anxious. Their ongoing anxiety is difficult to control. It interferes with their ability to function. Alqahtani's project won her an award. She won a prize in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. It is a science competition for high schoolers. Alqahtani wants to help solve problems in mental health care. She said that negative attitudes about treatment are common. It can also be difficult for people to get help. These problems can prevent teens from getting mental health care. Helping Teens With Anxiety In Unique Way By The Smithsonian Institution, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.07.21 Word Count 811 Level 570L Alqahtani started on her project last year. She was a participant in Mawhiba. It is a program in Saudi Arabia. It is centered on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Alqahtani wanted to help people in her generation. She had seen anxiety affect people around her. She also struggled with it herself. She knew that going to a psychologist can be daunting for some teens. Research has also shown this. At least half of mental health conditions start during the teenage years. But treatment often happens much later. Sometimes, it doesn't happen at all. There is good news. People with anxiety disorders can get better. Treatments and medication can make a difference. But less than half of young people with mental health conditions will access treatments. How The Game Works Alqahtani believes getting a diagnosis is an important step for treating mental health conditions. A diagnosis is a doctor's determination of a condition based on its signs and symptoms. Alqahtani also loves playing "Minecraft." So she proposed a project. She would use the format of a video game to test players for generalized anxiety disorder. Alqahtani set her sights on what she calls a feature. It is a part of an existing video game. She didn't actually build the feature. Instead, she made a video of what it would look like. The video looked like "Minecraft: Story Mode." Normally, it allows players to choose their own adventure. They choose how they would respond to different situations. Alqahtani's version is slightly different. Users choose how they would react in situations that might cause anxiety. In one situation, a friend says, "Don't bring your pet to the party. People will call us losers." The pet is a pig. It's a character in the original "Minecraft: Story Mode." The player selects one of two options. The first is: "I'm not worried about them, we will have fun!" The second is: "Oh! That will be so embarrassing and terrifying. I'm leaving my pet, but I'm afraid he will hurt himself." The second option counts for one point. The test is made up of 13 questions. At the end, the points are counted. A higher score means higher anxiety levels. Video Game Can Make Diagnosis Easier Renae Beaumont is a professor. She studies psychology. This is the science of mind and behavior. Beaumont says that getting a diagnosis can be challenging. Usually, people have to go see a mental health provider. This can be expensive. Teens often have to get a parent involved. Some parents might not agree with their child getting help. Alqahtani has come across some of these stumbling blocks. While working on her project, she felt depressed and anxious. She searched for online therapy. Three online sessions would cost $273. It was out of her price range. Seeing a psychologist can be uncomfortable for some people. In contrast, a video game is familiar and fun, said Kelli Dunlap. She is a psychologist. She said that the game may make personal questions easier to answer. Video Game Could Help Heal Teens In The Future Psychological tools delivered in video games might be promising. They have downsides too, though. It may not be possible to diagnose someone using an online test. Providing a diagnosis is not easy. Usually, mental health providers gather a lot of information. They also have to be licensed. Alqahtani's test could be useful in other ways. Beaumont and Dunlap think it could be a game-based anxiety screener. It might help teens access other resources. Alqahtani will continue to work on her project. She signed up for a game-creation camp this summer. She is also starting her first year of college in Saudi Arabia. She intends to study software or biomedical engineering. Alqahtani is motivated by her Muslim faith. It holds that every sickness has a cure created by God. She said that some cures just haven't been found yet. Alqahtani wants to help in that healing. A teenagr's developin' a video gam that aseses ur mental helth
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