| Personal Investigator centers on the development of an innovative 3D therapeutic detective game, targeted at engaging adolescents suffering from depression in a novel and dynamic way. Specifically, the user will be invited to become a detective or 'personal investigator' in the game and to hunt for clues to solving personal problems in their lives. Using the solution-focused model of psychotherapy, adolescents will be invited to find clues to the solution such as clarifying goals, identifying 'exceptions', highlighting supports and hidden strengths and accessing resources. The adolescents will progress through the game by interacting with a 'virtual detective' who ask key questions regarding problems and potential solutions and who direct the users on how to progress to the next stage It is predicted that the combination of goal orientated therapy within goal orientated games will firstly serve to attract and sustain the interest of adolescents and secondly to make learning about mental health enjoyable. Personal Investigator will be the first game to integrate an established psychotherapeutic approach into a novel and engaging online 3D game. |
