@phdthesis{GomezCambronero2023b,
title = {"Horizon: Resilience": A Smartphone-based Serious Game Intervention for Depressive Symptoms},
author = {Águeda Gómez-Cambronero},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10803/689528},
doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/14101.2023.544418},
year = {2023},
date = {2023-12-11},
school = {Universitat Jaume I. INIT},
abstract = {Depression is the most prevalent mental issue in our society, leading to disability and suicide deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need for depression treatment and prevention. While effective, evidence-based psychological treatments for depression exists, only a small percentage of those in need actually receive them. Technology, particularly smartphone-based interventions, can help maximize the reach of these treatments while ensuring their effectiveness, although it comes with challenges, such as high dropout rates. Despite the potential
of this therapy, this is a field that requires considerably more research to fully explore the benefits that smartphones have to offer. Specifically, serious games, designed with a purpose beyond entertainment, have emerged as a promising treatment tool, leveraging advance smartphone capabilities, aligning with psychological treatment principles, and enhancing user engagement.

This dissertation introduces “Horizon: Resilience”, a smartphone-based Serious Game for depressive symptoms. It is a city builder game with a decision making narrative, in which the player (patient) manages a town. The objective is to make the town progress, ensuring the steady inflow of resources and fostering the psychological resilience of its inhabitants. The game is based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework and includes Positive Psychology (PP) techniques. These psychological techniques are woven into the game’s gameplay, feedback, economy system, quests, graphics, and story. Noteworthy is the integration of promoting Physical Activity, detected using the phone’s motion sensors, as part of gameplay. The game draws on the findings of a scoping review on smartphone-based serious games in mental health, and was informed by consultations with therapists as part of a user-centered design. Therapists and patients furthermore provided a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the game. Their positive impressions indicate high acceptance and positive expectation regarding the use of the game as an
intervention. Lastly, a pilot randomized controlled trial protocol is outlined to assess its preliminary effectiveness-},
keywords = {mental health, Mobile apps, mobile computing, serious games, symptoms},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}