‘ Relax to Win ’ – Treating children with anxiety problems with a biofeedback video game

Abstract One of the central components in the treatment of common childhood problems such as anxiety, phobia, and post-traumatic stress is relaxation training. Biofeedback has been developed as an effective means of teaching relaxation skills especially with adults. One of the challenges has been to develop biofeedback protocols that are intelligible and child-centred enough to engage children. In this article we describe the ‘Relax to Win’ biofeedback video game that has been developed by the MindGames team in Media Lab Europe. In particular, we describe how it has been adapted to be used clinically with children who suffer from anxiety problems in a child metal health setting. The application is illustrated with a case study at the end.