JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Anxiety and depression are serious mental health conditions affecting millions worldwide, yet they are often underdiagnosed due to limited healthcare resources. Mobile games, with their widespread popularity and availability, offer a unique opportunity to utilize user-game interaction data for mental health screening.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore whether swipe gesture interactions from mobile games can serve as indicators of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Methods:

Eighty-two participants played three types of casual mobile games: a puzzle game, an infinite runner game, and an object slicing game for 15 minutes each and also completed validated measures of anxiety and depression. Swipe gesture patterns, including swipe speed, swipe pressure variability, and swiping positions, were analyzed for their associations with anxiety and depression scores.

Results:

Several swipe gesture patterns were significantly related to both anxiety and depression scores. Metrics such as swipe speed, pressure variability, and swiping positions emerged as potential indicators of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Conclusions:

The findings from this study provide preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of using swipe gesture interactions from mobile games as novel, engaging and non-intrusive indicators of anxiety and depression.