RPGs Lead To The Strongest 'Post-Game Depression,' Study Finds

"The study, published in the Current Psychology journal, was conducted by researchers from SWPS University and the Stefan Batory Academy of Applied Sciences, who set out to measure the 'sense of emptiness that arises after completing a deeply immersive game.' Post-Game Depression, or P-DGS, was measured across two separate studies, with a total of 373 participants."

"Turns out, media anhedonia (the diminished enjoyment of all forms of media) was the least 'intense' aspect of P-DGS, whereas 'game-related ruminations' (dwelling on the thought of the game being over) was the most intense."

"The study also states that 'stronger depressive symptoms' and 'disturbances in emotional processing' were most apparent among those who had completed RPGs, which leads me to believe that we should now classify Red Dead Redemption II as a role-playing game."

"While this is the first time that research of this kind has been carried out for video games, the findings do line up with a 2012 study on the same topic for fiction books, which concluded that reading the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle or José Saramago would 'emotionally transport' participants into becoming more empathetic."

The first scientific study on post-game depression reveals that RPGs lead to stronger feelings of emptiness after completion. Conducted with 373 participants, the study measured various aspects of post-game depression, including game-related ruminations and media anhedonia. Results indicated that game-related ruminations were the most intense, while media anhedonia was the least intense. Stronger depressive symptoms and emotional processing disturbances were noted among those who completed RPGs. The findings align with previous research on emotional responses to fiction books.

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