EmoWELL

A team led by José Antonio Gil Gómez (Universitat Politècnica de València) and Inmaculada Montoya Castilla (Universitat de València) has developed emoWELL, a video game that helps improve emotional management in young people between the ages of 18 and 25.

emoWELL is based on a psychological model and uses an immersive narrative: a train journey with symbolic stops addressing common emotional challenges at this life stage. Through interactive activities, participants learn to identify, understand and manage their emotions in a healthier/more effective way.

The study involved 114 university students, divided into an experimental group (which used emoWELL) and a control group. Those who played the video game showed an improvement in their ability to pay attention to their emotions. They also significantly reduced their use of strategies that, rather than helping, tend to worsen emotional distress or hinder long-term well-being, such as repressing their emotions. They also accepted their emotions better and achieved greater control over them. In addition, the UPV and UV team found that the improvement in the regulation or adequate management of one's emotions positively influenced areas of well-being, specifically on how participants accept themselves and manage the demands of their environment.

‘Most participants rated the experience very positively, highlighting the educational content and accessibility of the game. Some have even incorporated strategies learned from our video game into their daily lives,’ said José Antonio Gil Gómez, a researcher at the ai2 Institute - UPV.

Psychoeducational support

According to UPV and UV researchers, emoWELL has been designed primarily as a prevention tool through the emotional training described above. Its use is recommended as a psychoeducational support resource in university settings.

The research team points out that, under no circumstances, does emoWELL replace professional intervention. Still, it can complement certain therapies or treatments in appropriate contexts. 'It is a pioneering and useful tool as a preventive complement to well-being programmes at this stage' concludes Inmaculada Montoya from the Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments at the UV.

Alongside Inmaculada Montoya and José Antonio Gil Gómez, Saray Velert-Jiménez, Selene Valero-Moreno, and Marián Pérez-Marín, all researchers at the University of Valencia, also participated in the study. Their conclusions have been published in the prestigious scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology.