Playing the classic video game Tetris may offer a novel approach to reducing distressing memories after trauma, a new trial suggests.
Researchers found that healthcare workers who participated in the puzzle game as part of their treatment experienced a significant reduction in flashbacks.
Experts are now interested in expanding testing of the method, which they describe as “accessible, scalable and adaptable”, to a broader population.
The study, a collaboration between researchers from the UK and Sweden, involved 99 NHS staff who had been exposed to traumatic events, such as witnessing deaths, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Forty of these participants received the treatment, known as competitive imagery task intervention (ICTI), which involved playing a slow version of Tetris.
During the intervention, individuals were asked to briefly recall a traumatic memory before using their mind to visualize the Tetris grid and its falling blocks.
The findings suggest that this simple intervention could be a valuable tool to mitigate the impact of traumatic experiences.
The ICTI method is believed to weaken the vividness of intrusive memories by occupying the visuospatial areas of the brain, which help you analyze and understand physical space.
Emily Holmes, professor of psychology at Uppsala University, who led the study, said: “Even a single, fleeting intrusive memory of past trauma can exert a powerful impact on daily life by hijacking attention and leaving people at the mercy of intrusive and unwanted emotions.
“By weakening the intrusive aspect of these sensory memories through this brief visual intervention, people experience fewer traumatic images coming back.”
The remaining patients listened to Mozart music to help relieve stress, along with podcasts about the composer, or received standard treatment.
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found that those who received ICTI treatment had 10 times fewer flashbacks compared to other groups within four weeks.
After six months, about 70 percent reported having no intrusive memories.
The treatment also helped address symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Professor Holmes added: “We are delighted to have made a breakthrough in showing that this intervention works.
“It's much more than just playing Tetris, and while it's easy to use, it's been a complicated process to refine and develop.
“The intervention focuses on our mental images, not words, and is designed to be as gentle, brief and practical as possible to fit into people's busy lives.
“We hope to expand our research so that it can be put into practice by determining its effectiveness for a broader range of people and settings.”
Charlotte Summers, director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute and professor of critical care medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: “Every day, healthcare workers around the world are recurrently exposed to traumatic events in the course of their work, affecting the physical and mental well-being of those who care for us when we are unwell.
“At a time when global healthcare systems remain under intense pressure, the discovery of a scalable digital intervention that promotes the well-being of healthcare professionals experiencing work-related traumatic events is an exciting step forward.”
The team is now exploring ways to test ICTI in larger, more diverse groups, as well as looking at options for an unguided version of the game.
Tayla McCloud, digital mental health research lead at Wellcome, which funded the study, said: “These results are impressive for such a simple-to-use intervention.
“If we can get equally strong results in larger trials, this could have a huge impact.
“It is rare to see something so accessible, scalable and adaptable in different contexts. It does not require patients to express their trauma in words and even transcends language barriers.
“This study is a key example of why Wellcome is investing in a wide range of mental health interventions, so that in the future everyone has access to treatments that work for them.”
