Cocreation and Evaluation of an Escape Game on Students' Mental Health

The Covid-19 pandemic and the protracted lockdowns have heavily impacted university students' mental health. Digital Escape Games represent a good means to reach students and propose them solutions for their psychological well-being.

The objective of the study is to evaluate a cocreated digital Escape Game on students' mental health in the Covid-19 era. The evaluation of the effectiveness of this stand-alone intervention concerns mental health outcomes (mental health literacy, appraisal and change of beliefs about mental health, recognition and management of emotions, and positive coping strategies) and the appreciation and relevance of the game.

A randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-test data collection (online questionnaires with validated scales) will be conducted among 500 students in Bordeaux, France, to evaluate a game cocreated with students, researchers, health professionals and web-developers. A sub-sample of students will be randomly selected for responding to a semi-structured interview following a mixed methods design. Recruitment will be done through mail invitation from student associations and presentations in university classes. Half of the sample (250 students) will play the Escape Game, while the other half will receive an email with mental health-related information. The whole study is carried out online.

As of December 2nd 2024, 191 students have answered the baseline questionnaire (90 intervention vs. 101 control). Twenty-three students have played the Escape Game and 53 are in the control arm. The current sample size is too small for reaching significance level. Among participants, 20 were interviewed (10 intervention vs. 10 control) reaching the saturation of the sample. According to preliminary results, the game has proved a positive impact on all defined outcomes, while the email has been effective in increasing knowledge on resources available and on coping strategies and meditation techniques. We expect the trial to be completed by the end of June 2025.

Preliminary results from the qualitative sub-study are promising: in the aftermaths of the Covid-19 crisis, this intervention is intended to promote players' mental health through gamification, knowledge transfer and a learning-by-doing approach.