Have you struggled with your mental health and found that playing digital games has helped you?
Are you 16–25 years old, living in Norrbotten or Västerbotten, and have experienced that playing digital games has helped you when you’ve felt mentally unwell? Then we’d like to ask if you want to talk about this in an interview as part of the research project “Digital games as support for young people’s recovery from mental ill health in the Nordic Arctic.” Here you can read more about what participation involves. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find contact details for the responsible researchers if you want to know more, and a link where you can sign up to participate.
What is this project, and why do we want you to take part?
The project “Digital games as support for young people’s recovery from mental ill health in the Nordic Arctic” aims to understand how young people in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland use digital games to feel better and cope with mental health challenges.
By “digital games,” we mean all kinds of games and platforms – everything from mobile games you play alone to computer games you play online with others.
We want to hear about your experiences with gaming and how it has affected your well-being and recovery. The study is led by Luleå University of Technology. The research has undergone ethical review and been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (ref. 2025-03144-01).
How does the project work?
If you’d like to participate, you can enter your contact details via the link at the bottom of the page. One of the researchers will then contact you to decide on a time and place for the interview. You can choose to do the interview by phone, online, or in person – whichever feels best for you.
The conversation takes about 30–60 minutes and will be recorded. Only you and the researcher will take part, but if you wish, you can have someone with you.
The interview questions concern your gaming habits and mental well-being – for example, why you play and how gaming affects you. We’ll also ask some background questions, such as your age, how long you’ve been gaming, and what kinds of games you like.
Possible consequences and risks of participating
You might find it difficult to talk about your gaming and your mental health. You decide what you want to share and can stop the interview at any time without having to explain why.
Before we begin, we’ll go through where you can get support if you need it. If you have questions afterward or want to talk about the interview, you can always contact the researcher.
What happens with your information?
The project will collect and record information about you.
To conduct the research, we need to collect and store certain information such as your name, contact details, and your interview responses. To protect your identity, the interviews will be coded so that only the project researchers know who said what. Audio files and code lists are stored securely and password-protected.
All data will be kept for at least 10 years after the research results are published. Before anything is made public, names, locations, and other personal information will be removed so that no one can identify you.
We comply with GDPR (the EU’s data protection regulations), which means you have the right to see what information we have about you, correct any errors, and in some cases have your data deleted.
If you want to know more or have questions, you can contact the principal researcher, Sebastian Gabrielsson (see address and phone number below), or the Data Protection Officer at dataskydd@ltu.se.
If you’re not satisfied with how your information is handled, you can also file a complaint with the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten), which ensures compliance with data protection laws.
How will you learn about the project results?
The study results will be shared in scientific articles and presented at conferences in Sweden and abroad. They will also be communicated in more accessible formats, such as articles, lectures, and educational materials.
If you’d like to access the results, you can contact the responsible researcher.
Compensation
As compensation for taking part in the study, you will receive a gift card (value: 99 SEK).
Voluntary participation
Taking part in the study is entirely voluntary, and you can choose to withdraw at any time. You don’t need to give a reason.
If you want to withdraw your participation, you can contact the responsible researcher (see contact details below).
Project leaders
Associate Professor Sebastian Gabrielsson (Principal Investigator)
sebastian.gabrielsson@ltu.se
0920-493227
Luleå University of Technology
Professor Britt-Marie Lindgren
britt-marie.lindgren@umu.se
090-7869261
Umeå University
Link to sign up and consent to participate
If you would like to take part in the study, click the link below and fill in your details.
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