No, a Study Didn't Prove Mario Treats Depression
Channel: Video Game Story Time
Date: 2023-12-29

A scientific study published earlier this year has gained a lot of attention this week amid claims that it proves Mario Odyssey can treat symptoms of depression. Some outlets are claiming that Mario can reduce symptoms of depression by nearly 50%. These claims are not entirely accurate.

Yes, a small, preliminary study has found that brain training in a digital 3D space can help with some symptoms of depression in a limited capacity under very specific circumstances, and in addition to other, more traditional forms of medical treatment.

However, as the authors of this study point out themselves, their methodology is not particularly reliable. According to their results, playing Mario improves mood... but so does NOT playing Mario. What's more, Mario Odyssey is not, according to thr study's results, more effective at brain training for patients with depression than other forms of mental exercise.

While the study is by no means useless, it's unhelpful to report that Mario is a proven treatment for depression. This is a case where believing everything you read on the internet means only getting half the story.

Link to the paper for your own research:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1173652/full