Clinical relevance: A new study suggests that playing Tetris in a guided session can reduce PTSD symptoms.

The intervention involved traumatized healthcare professionals, comparing Tetris mental rotation tasks to a control activity. The game’s visual and mental rotation mechanics appear to overwrite trauma-related flashbacks, helping with avoidance, tension, and concentration issues. Researchers view this as a scalable, accessible “cognitive vaccine” for trauma, with potential to integrate video gaming into mental health care.

While it sounds like something a retired Gen X gamer would dream up, a new study suggests a video game might help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). BMC Medicine has published a paper that argues that even a single guided session of Tetris can make a huge difference in PTSD symptoms. 

“It is possible to reduce the [frequency] of unpleasant and intrusive memories of trauma, and thereby also alleviate other PTSD symptoms,” lead author and Uppsala University Professor Emily Holmes explained. “With just one guided treatment session, we saw positive effects that persisted after five weeks and even six months after treatment. Trauma can affect anyone. If this effect can be achieved with an everyday tool that includes video gaming, it could be an accessible way to help many people.”

Methodology. And Encouraging Results.

The research team worked with 164 healthcare professionals who’d endured work-related trauma during the pandemic. The researchers monitored their trauma-related flashbacks for a week before they randomly assigned the participants to one of two groups. The first engaged in mental rotation tasks using Tetris, while the other listened to a radio program as a control activity.

The research project required participants to describe their intrusive memories briefly – without delving too deeply into the trauma. Under the guidance of a facilitator, the participants then played Tetris for 20 minutes. This low-barrier intervention contrasts with traditional therapeutic methods that typically demand longer, more extensive treatment sessions.

The participants documented their experiences in writing. And the researchers evaluated their symptoms using the PCL-5 questionnaire.

When they started, the participants averaged 15 intrusive memories a week. After five weeks, those in the Tetris group reported just one of those memories per week. That compared to five intrusive recollections in the control group.

Six months later, the Tetris group continued to benefit from fewer and less intense PTSD symptoms. 

Tetris and Mental Rotation

The study’s success, according to its authors, rests in the unique game mechanics of Tetris, namely its mental rotation aspect. This visual task – which everyone from the early 1990s knows – involves visualizing how objects look when the player rotates them. This mental exercise seems to overwrite intrusive trauma-related images. Holmes argues that by targeting flashbacks PTSD’s brutal trademark – caregivers can help cut back on avoidance, tension, and even help mitigate concentration issues.

“Mental rotation using Tetris provided a surprising yet effective method for alleviating symptoms. The improvement in participants’ well-being lasted for months, even though the intervention took less than an hour,” Holmes added. “It’s remarkable that a digital tool requiring no in-depth discussions of trauma could achieve these results.”

A Cognitive Vaccine for Trauma?

Holmes envisions this method as a “cognitive vaccine” to prevent and treat early PTSD symptoms in high-risk individuals.

“Healthcare workers, first responders, and others exposed to trauma could benefit from this accessible and scalable approach,” she explained.

While the study’s authors stress the need for more research – especially with a wider population – they insist that it could point to a future where video games play a huge part in mental health care. By tackling trauma early on, treatments like this could stave off the development of chronic PTSD.

“This scientifically controlled evidence shows the potential of simple, scalable digital tools to tackle mental health challenges,” Holmes concluded. “It brings us one step closer to integrating such methods into routine care for trauma-affected populations.”

Further Reading

Trauma Appears To Alter How We Process Memories

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Combat-Associated PTSD

Study Highlights the Role of Direct Trauma in PTSD