Playing Tetris could help reduce distressing memories of trauma, researchers have found.
Health workers who played the classic computer game as part of their treatment experienced fewer flashbacks, according to a trial carried out by researchers in the UK and Sweden.
The trial included 99 staff from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) who had been exposed to trauma at work – such as witnessing deaths – during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some 40 patients were given the treatment which involved playing Tetris, known as imagery competing task intervention (ICTI).
The group were asked to play a slow version of the classic game while briefly recalling a traumatic memory.
They were then asked to use their mind’s eye to imagine the Tetris grid and visualise the blocks.
The ICTI method is thought to weaken the vividness of the intrusive memories by occupying the brain’s visuospatial areas, which help it to analyse and understand physical space.
“Even a single, fleeting intrusive memory of past trauma can exert a powerful impact in daily life by hijacking attention and leaving people at the mercy of unwanted and intrusive emotions,” said study leader Emily Holmes, a professor of psychology at Sweden’s Uppsala University.
“By weakening the intrusive aspect of these sensory memories via this brief visual intervention, people experience fewer trauma images flashing back.”
The remaining patients either listened to music by Mozart to help alleviate stress, along with podcasts about the composer, or received standard treatment.
The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found those who received the ICTI treatment had 10 times fewer flashbacks compared with other groups within four weeks.
After six months, some 70 per cent reported having no intrusive memories at all.
The treatment also helped tackle symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“We are delighted to have made a real breakthrough by showing this intervention works,” Professor Holmes said.
“It is far more than just playing Tetris, and while it is simple to use, it’s been a complicated process to refine and develop.
“The intervention focuses on our mental imagery, not words, and is designed to be as gentle, brief and practical as possible to fit into people’s busy lives.
“We hope to expand our research so it can be put into practise by determining its effectiveness for a broader range of people and scenarios.”
The team is now exploring ways to test ICTI on larger and more diverse groups, as well as looking at options for a non-guided version of the game.
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