The role of gamification in digital mental health

World Psychiatry 22:1 February 2023 To better understand and address cyberbullying, we must explore its existing subtypes – some of which have only been described in blogs – and, as technology evolves, its emerging forms. Most urgently, the lack of agreement upon “best practices” for the management of cyberbullying must be remedied. Expanding access to psychiatric and psychological care – given the mental health dimension of cyberbullying – is imperative, as is a better understanding of school­based interventions, which remain the most popular management approach. Data from school­based studies suggest that programs which adopt a broad, ecological approach to the school­wide climate and which include specific actions at the student, teacher and family levels are more effective than those delivered solely through classroom curricula or social skills trainings. However, the best meta­analytic evidence for school­based programs dem­ onstrates mostly short­term effects, while long­term data sug­ gest small benefits. Further, success appears more likely when programs target cyberbullying specifically as opposed to general violence prevention, and when they are delivered by technolo­ gy­savvy content experts as opposed to teachers. Evidence also suggests that programs are most successful when they provide informational support through interactive modalities (e.g., peer tutoring, role playing, group discussion), and when they nurture stakeholder agency (e.g., offer quality teacher training programs, engage parents in program implementation). Future research into cyberbullying management should ex­ pand on these findings and examine how management interfa­ ces with the legislative process and with law enforcement when it comes to illegal behavior, including privacy breeches and serious threats. Much has been learned about cyberbullying, but much remains to be explored. The knowledge gaps are all the more challenging given that Internet­related technologies evolve at a breakneck pace and in a way that reveals new exploitable vulnerabilities. A­ long with the previously cited statistic that no less than 33% of young people worldwide have been victimized, this should give the field added urgency to “keep up” and investigate some under­ studied areas that are critical to a more nuanced understanding of cyberbullying and its effective management.