Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) are investigating whether a therapeutic video game can help adolescents manage anxiety by improving attention control. The study, conducted by FIU's Center for Children and Families in collaboration with the University of Geneva, is the first clinical trial in the United States to evaluate the game, Eco-Rescue, as a treatment for anxiety in young people.
The project is based on evidence that anxiety is closely linked to the brain's ability to regulate attention. Young people who struggle to shift their focus away from persistent worries or recover after stressful experiences may find it more difficult to interrupt anxious thought patterns. Rather than serving as a general cognitive training tool, Eco-Rescue was specifically designed to strengthen the mental processes associated with attention and emotional regulation.
"The University of Geneva team brings expertise in cognitive training and game design, while FIU contributes its experience running clinical trials and studying anxiety in young people," said Jeremy Pettit, psychology professor and executive director of FIU's Center for Children and Families. "Together, this partnership combines the science behind the game with the clinical rigor to test how well it works."
Interactive gameplay
The game places players in the role of a pilot tasked with restoring damaged environments. During gameplay, participants must track moving objects, respond to unexpected events and manage multiple tasks simultaneously. As performance improves, the game's challenges become progressively more demanding, encouraging continued engagement while targeting attention control and emotional regulation.
According to the researchers, the approach builds on years of scientific work linking anxiety to deficits in attention management. Previous research by Pettit has shown that strengthening attention-related skills can reduce anxiety symptoms, including among adolescents who experienced limited benefit from conventional therapy. "Adolescents are already spending a lot of time engaging with digital media," Pettit said. "This project allows us to meet them where they are while delivering an intervention grounded in science."
Unlike earlier studies that explored video game-based interventions for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Eco-Rescue was developed specifically to address cognitive processes associated with anxiety.
Randomized trial in adolescents
The FIU research team is recruiting 50 participants between the ages of 11 and 15, while approximately 150 adolescents are expected to participate across all study sites. Researchers selected this age group because anxiety disorders frequently emerge before the age of 15, when the adolescent brain is still developing and may be particularly responsive to interventions aimed at cognitive skills.
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group will play Eco-Rescue at home for approximately 30 minutes per day, four days each week, over a six-week period. A second group will play a different video game that does not specifically target attention skills, while a third group will receive no gaming intervention during the study.
At the conclusion of the trial, researchers will evaluate whether the therapeutic game produces measurable improvements in attention control, emotional regulation and anxiety symptoms compared with the two control groups.
Mental health support
If the intervention proves effective, the researchers believe it could provide adolescents with an additional evidence-based option for managing anxiety outside traditional clinical settings. "This study is testing a new generation of attention-based treatment," Pettit said. "If it proves effective, it could offer adolescents another option for managing anxiety in their daily lives."
The research team also sees potential for the game to improve access to mental health support for families who encounter barriers to conventional care. By delivering a structured intervention through a digital platform, the approach could complement existing treatment pathways while reaching adolescents in familiar environments.
The study forms part of a broader international research initiative involving collaborators from the University of Geneva, the University of Haifa and Yale University, with the goal of evaluating innovative digital interventions for adolescent mental health.
Chatbots
last year a South Korean study suggested that AI-powered social chatbots can help reduce loneliness and social anxiety among young people. The study involved 176 students who interacted with the social chatbot Iruda 2.0 at least three times a week over a four-week period. Researchers from UNIST and Korea University compared standardized survey results collected before and after the intervention and supplemented the findings with participant interviews. Regular chatbot interactions reduced loneliness scores by an average of 15% and social anxiety scores by 18%.
The strongest benefits were observed among participants who openly shared their thoughts and emotions and those with higher levels of resilience. The study suggested that social chatbots could become valuable digital tools for emotional support and the prevention of mental health problems, particularly where access to professional care is limited.
