Leveling Up Self-Care: How a Gamified Approach to Mental Health Applications can Support Young Adults
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-05
Pages
23
Abstract
This paper explores how a gamified mental health application can support young adults with mild mental health challenges in cultivating their mental health through structured engagement, reflection, and gentle motivation. Drawing from prior research and design implications, Mindly was developed to evaluate and discover interesting interactions through a week-long user study involving five participants. Findings indicate that users responded positively to the application’s structure, personalization, and emotionally supportive companion. The study reveals that gamification and parasocial relationships serve as key motivators, but also highlights the importance of balancing these elements to avoid inducing stress or performance pressure. Furthermore, this research demonstrates how mental health applications can support young adults through engagement, structure, and personalization.
Keywords
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