Personal Investigator

Personal Investigator (PI)

Personal Investigator is a 3D Internet therapeutic detective game, targeted at engaging adolescents suffering from mental health problems such as depression. Users ProgresS through the game by interacting with five 'virtual detectives' who invite them to reflect AbOUT their problems and to hunt for 'clues' to possible solutions (based on brief psychotherapeutic techniques). The adolescents also have the opportunity to hear videoed accounts from other young people who have solved similar problems and are invited to complete a special 'detective note book' which they receive as a reward on completion of the game.

PI represents the first time this established intervention approach has been integrated into a 3D game. It is also perhaps the first example of collaboration between human computer interaction designers and mental health practitioners to design a computer game. It has been developed and re-developed over the past 5 years. Results of evaluations of the game have been published at conferences and in journals in the areas of mental health and human computer interaction.

References:

Coyle, D., Doherty, G., Sharry, J., & Matthews, M. (2007). Computers in Talk-Based Mental Health Care. Interacting with Computers, 19(4), 545-562.

Coyle, D., Matthews, M., Sharry, J., Nisbet, A., & Doherty, G. (2005). Personal Investigator: A Therapeutic 3D Game for Adolescent Psychotherapy. International Journal of Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 2, 73-88.