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Depression (Mood disorder)

Gamification Enhances Effectiveness of mHealth Psychotherapies for Late-Life Depression

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

According to a recent study published in The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, incorporating gamification into mobile health (mHealth) psychotherapies has been found to significantly improve adherence to between-session homework and reduce depressive symptoms in individuals with late-life depression. The study, led by Emily Carter and colleagues at Weill Cornell Medicine, involved a randomized controlled trial comparing a gamified phase to a nongamified phase of three reward exposure-based psychotherapies. The results suggest that gamification could enhance the effectiveness of mHealth psychotherapies and promote wider adoption among older adults.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study recruited 102 middle-aged to older adults (mean age 69.4 years) with major depression and assessed their adherence to between-session homework and depressive symptoms over a 12-week period.
  • Participants who received gamified psychotherapy had higher odds (aOR = 8.20 [95% CI: 2.68-25.04]; p < 0.01) of completing homework and showed improved depressive symptoms compared to those in the nongamified phase.
  • The study highlights the potential of gamification to enhance the effectiveness of mHealth psychotherapies and promote wider adoption among older adults, helping to address the growing demand for mental health care among this population.
  • The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published the study, providing evidence of its scientific merit.
  • The study's authors include Emily Carter, Yuqing Qiu, Natalie Benda, Jo Anne Sirey, Soohyun Kim, Younghoon Kim, Zilong Yu, Dimitris Kiosses, Patricia Marino, Faith Gunning, George Alexopoulos, and Samprit Banerjee.

Statistics:

  • The study involved 102 participants with major depression.
  • Participants were aged between 60 to 85 years (mean age 69.4 years).
  • Depressive symptoms were measured four times over the 12-week study period using the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
  • The study found that participants who received gamified psychotherapy had a higher completion rate of between-session homework (aOR = 8.20 [95% CI: 2.68-25.04]; p < 0.01).
  • The study concludes that gamification could enhance the effectiveness of mHealth psychotherapies and promote wider adoption among older adults.

Sources:

  • Emily Carter et al. (2025). Improving Adherence to Psychotherapy and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Late-Life Depression Through Gamified mHealth Technology. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
  • NewsRx. (2025). Findings from Emily Carter et al Has Provided New Information about Health and Medicine (Improving Adherence to Psychotherapy and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Late-Life Depression Through Gamified mHealth Technology). Psychology & Psychiatry Journal. November 1, 2025; p 962.

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