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No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Gamified interventions are an emerging approach in mental health treatment and prevention. Their positive effects on managing various clinical conditions stem from enhancing social skills. However, cost-effective options like Table-top Role-Playing Games TTRPGs , which offer similar benefits to other game-based interventions, lack standardized methods for ensuring replicability.
In this regard, the method outlined in this study endeavors, in a structured and guided manner drawing from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research CFIR , to establish a six-step protocol for developing an intervention method utilizing TTRPGs. In all Steps, we aim to anchor ourselves in robust literature concerning social skills training SST , cognitive behavioral therapy CBT , and gamification comprehensively. Furthermore, we demonstrate a possible application of the method to illustrate its feasibility.
Ultimately, the final method is structured, evidence-based, easily applicable, cost-effective, and thus viable. Mental health professionals seeking a structured and instructional tool for protocol development will find support in the method proposed here. Mental health disorders represent a significant global challenge, being a leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
As the burden of mental health disorders continues to rise, the World Health Organization WHO emphasizes the necessity for preventative strategies due to the current constraints of scalable treatment modalities 3. This need is particularly urgent given the increasing burden in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring the importance of low-cost and task-shared interventions. A promising approach to promoting mental health has been through social skills training SSTs 4.
