The researchers used the mobile game Pokemon Go to conduct the study using Google Trends data from over 50 weeks in 2016 among 12 English-speaking countries, according to an April 12 news release from the school. It found that in areas where the game had been released, depression-related internet searches such as “depression,” “stress,” and “anxiety” decreased.
The researchers believe that the game helps alleviate mild depression in users as it encourages outdoor physical activity, face-to-face socialization and exposure to nature, all of which have all been documented as having a positive effect on mental health.
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