SPARX, a free e-therapy game that helps New
Zealand youth with mild to moderate depression, has a new
website that improves user experience
Around
the world, unprecedented numbers of young people are
experiencing mental health challenges. No system has the
resources to help them all individually, quickly and
adequately.
SPARX is designed to be part of the
solution by helping youth with mild to moderate depression
through a free online game that’s both fun to play and
evidence-based.
Now a new version of the website on
which the game is hosted will improve user experience by
making it easier to navigate and giving it a more
contemporary, appealing look and feel. The new website will
go live on 8 March 2023. The game itself is not changing at
this time.
SPARX is based on research from Waipapa
Taumata Rau, University of Auckland that found that the game
helped youth aged 12-19 who were feeling down, depressed or
angry to feel better over time by teaching them self-help
skills. SPARX has been freely available within Aotearoa New
Zealand since 2015.
Based on cognitive behavioural
therapy, SPARX teaches players to cope with negative
thoughts and feelings by thinking about them in a more
balanced and helpful way and encouraging them to do things
they enjoy or that give them a sense of
achievement.
“Everyone feels down from time to
time,” says SPARX Project Manager Dianne Wood.
“Sometimes those feelings go away, but if they don’t,
SPARX may be able to help you. There are heaps of different
things you can do to help you feel better and using SPARX is
a great place to start.”
“SPARX takes what may
seem like really huge and impossible problems and breaks
them down for you into small steps you can take – which
makes finding a solution seem achievable,” says a SPARX
user.
SPARX Version 2, which was released in 2021,
introduced new characters and upgraded graphics and
navigation control. More changes are underway as the team
responds to user feedback and works to improve experience of
young people.
SPARX is a project of the National Institute for
Health Innovation and is wholly owned by UniServices,
the research application and commercialisation company of
the University of Auckland. The game can be played on a
computer or mobile device and anyone in New Zealand can
register for free.
To learn more or sign up, visit sparx.org.nz.
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