06 - Characterization of risk of depression and suicide in a sample of elderly people in Beja, Portugal – an exploratory study.
Year: 2019
Type: other
Abstract: Objectives:We aim to find out how suicide is being portrayed in video-games. We intend to know how suicide is being displayed for the players and what are their reactions based on their reviews.Background:Suicide is a complex and intricate subject that is many times portrayed in video games, whether as a reference or as being the main theme. Within the entertainment business, gaming industry is growing fast with new games being released every day. The list of games that cointains suicide-related behavior is vast and perhaps itu00b4s crucial to understand how suicide-related content has been represented in games throughout the years.Materials and Methods:We include video games released in the last 10 years that have strong references of suicide-related behaviour or that have suicide as the main theme. Search was conducted using magazines, websites and all gaming platforms were included. Reviews were analysed to understand how people felt about the game.Results and Conclusions:On a psychological and emotional level, research has been showing that gamers can become more desensitized to realistic risk behaviours. Suicide-related content is sometimes depicted in games with raw brutallity and corresponding imagery. Other times, suicide is seen as an escape or a sacred act and there are games where suicide is displayed as a choice.Video-games, like books and movies, are an interactive tool that can be used to promote healthy behaviours and its important to understand how suicide-related behaviour is being presented and grasped by the people to possibly outline future strategies of intervention.
Authors: Sónia Farinha Silva, Paulo Barbosa, Maria Teresa Valadas, Ana Matos-Pires, Marta Vieira de Melo Centeno Moreira
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4213034612