Digital Games to Facilitate Well-Being, Mental and Physical Health: Theory, Practice, and Evaluation
A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Digital Health Technologies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Interests: contact tracing apps for disease prevention; apps for promoting healthy behaviors; tailored health communication; digitalization of clinical processes; gamification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past decades, digital games have increasingly attracted scientific attention for their potential to promote well-being and support both mental and physical health. Far from being mere entertainment, video games have been shown in numerous studies to foster cognitive, emotional, motivational, and social benefits, as well as to encourage physical activity through movement-based and immersive technologies. This growing body of evidence positions digital games as promising tools for health promotion, therapeutic interventions, and preventive strategies. Against this background, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue, ‘Digital Games to Facilitate Well-Being, Mental and Physical Health: Theory, Practice, and Evaluation'.
This Special Issue aims to explore and consolidate theoretical frameworks, practical implementations, and empirical findings related to the use of digital games in health-related contexts. The topic aligns closely with the journal’s scope, addressing how technological innovations and interactive media can support human well-being, enhance clinical practice, and improve health outcomes. Contributions may address the conceptual foundations of game-based health interventions, the mechanisms through which games exert positive effects, or the evaluation of real-world applications. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.
Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Theoretical models and conceptual frameworks describing how and why digital games can enhance mental or physical health;
- Game-based interventions designed for well-being promotion, stress reduction, emotional regulation, or cognitive enhancement;
- Empirical studies describing applications of digital games in health-related contexts;
- Evaluation of therapeutic games, exergames, or gamified platforms for physical rehabilitation or physical activity promotion;
- Evidence-based reflections and guidelines for integrating games into psychological or physical health practice;
- User experience studies and qualitative reports on game-based health programs;
- Cross-cultural or comparative studies on the health impacts of digital games.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Marcello Sarini
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- digital games
- game-based interventions
- well-being promotion
- mental health
- physical health
- exergames
- therapeutic games
- gamification for health
- serious games
- health-related outcomes
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