![]() There can be little as worrying and concerning to a parent as the health of their child. One in 3 Irish children experiences a mental health problem by age 13 (1). yet children and teens have the poorest access to suitable treatments. Pesky gNATs computer therapy game aims to address that. One in 15 Youth Self Harming in Ireland Research conducted by the Royal College of Surgeons of Irish youth aged 11 to 24 revealed that one in three had experienced a mental health disorder by age 13 (1). Additionally the research showed that 1 in 15 used self harm to cope (1). Early experiences of mental health problems indicate insufficient coping skills and are indicators of later mental health, relationship, employment and substance use problems (2). This age group has the lowest engagement with adequate mental health care, due to the adult orientation of many treatment options. (3) While CBT is an effective treatment of choice for many mental and emotional difficulties faced by adults, its style of delivery is generally not child friendly. Children and Teens learn mental health skills through Therapy Game The Pesky gNATs therapy game helps to address this challenge. It is a computer game designed for use with young people aged 9-17 built by Dr Gary O Reilly UCD and Dr David Coyle UCD. Children and teens will play the game over the course of 6 to 8 sessions, together with a suitably qualified adult therapist. Sitting together at the computer the child and therapist explore the game environment completing challenges and learning skills that they can use in their day to day experiences. Contact WellSpring Therapy for CBT using Pesky gNATs Pesky gNATSs Award Winning Child Therapy Game In Pesky gNATs players visit a tropical island and meet a team of wild life explorers. This team introduces mental health concepts using spoken conversation, embedded animations, videos and questions regarding the player’s own situation. CBT concepts are introduced using concrete metaphors. Negative automatic thoughts are presented as little creatures called gNATs that can sting people, causing negative thinking. Each type of gNAT is introduced with a cartoon, voiceover and story describing its effects. For example being stung by a Black and White gNAT can cause people to think in extremes. Through conversations with game characters players are introduced to strategies for identifying and challenging negative thoughts. Metaphors such as catching, trapping and swatting gNATs are used to describe this process. Similar approaches are used with other important CBT concepts, such as Core Beliefs. Contact WellSpring Therapy for CBT using Pesky gNATs 1 Cannon, M., Coughlan, H., Clarke, M., Harley, M., & Kelleher, I. (2013). The Mental Health of Young People in Ireland: A report of the Psychiatric Epidemology Research across the Lifespan (PERL) Group.
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