Videomängude disain noortele täiskasvanutele. Psühholoogilise heaolu edendamine koosloome kaudu / Participatory Video Game Design for Young Adults: Enhancing Psychological Well-being through Co-creation

Teesid: Videomängud on saanud oluliseks kultuuriliseks ja hariduslikuks väljendusvahendiks, mille potentsiaali vaimse tervise hariduses ei ole veel piisavalt rakendatud. Artikkel käsitleb, kuidas koosloomepõhine videomängude disain võib toetada noorte täiskasvanute psühholoogilist heaolu, loovust ja õppimist. Erasmus+ töötoas kasutati kunstipõhist ja osaluslikku disainiprotsessi, et soodustada eneseväljendust, emotsionaalset teadlikkust ja refleksiooni. Metoodika lõimis osalusdisaini, metakognitiivse õppimise ja kunstipõhise tegevusuuringu. Tulemused viitavad, et selline lähenemine võib toetada motivatsiooni, keskendumisvõimet ja heaolu, pakkudes tõhusat viisi loovuse ja vaimse tervise ühendamiseks hariduslikus kontekstis. Mental health challenges faced by young adults have become a global concern, with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and stress. The World Health Organization highlights a decline in well-being, particularly among younger populations. In Estonia, nearly half of young adults report mental health difficulties, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to mental health education. While traditional interventions remain essential, creative and participatory methods are gaining recognition for their potential to enhance psychological well-being. One such approach is participatory video game design, which integrates artistic creativity, interactive storytelling, and collaborative learning to foster engagement and emotional resilience. This article explores how co-creative video game design can support psychological well-being, creativity and learning among young adults. Conducted during a three-day Erasmus+ workshop, the study investigates how art-based and participatory design practices can promote emotional awareness, presence, self-expression, and reflection. The methodology combines art-based action research, participatory design, and metacognitive learning into an integrated framework that enables safe, collaborative and meaningful exploration of mental health themes. Participants – international students aged 17 to 18 – worked in small teams to design game prototypes that addressed personal and social aspects of mental health. Two custom-developed toolkits structured the creative process: one based on flow theory, the other on visual world-building templates. These toolkits supported both creative design and psychological reflection. Participants also completed daily self-assessment surveys and the Flow Likelihood Questionnaire to assess their motivation, focus, and engagement. Results indicated increasing levels of attentional focus, intrinsic motivation, and psychological presence over the course of the workshop, with the highest scores on the final day. Participants reported enjoyment, self-development, and creative flow, suggesting the design process had both cognitive and emotional significance. Psychological frameworks were embedded within the design structure, allowing participants to internalise concepts such as flow and self-regulation through hands-on creative engagement, rather than direct instruction. This research positions participatory game design as more than a technical skill, it becomes a shared artistic and pedagogical process through which young people explore identity, emotions, and interpersonal dynamics. Co-creation offers a shift from passive media consumption to active authorship, fostering agency and reflective thinking. The facilitator’s role was framed not as instructor but as a ‘journey designer’, creating a flexible structure in which participants could safely navigate complex content, experiment, and express themselves. Methodologically, the study proposes a four-part model – game, creators, journey designer, and journey – that integrates artistic creation, learner agency, guidance, and the process of reflection. Flow theory was both a design concept and an evaluative lens, showing strong correlation with participant engagement. Quantitative data were supported by open-ended reflections in which participants articulated new insights into game mechanics, storytelling, teamwork, and their own emotional experiences. Rather than measuring outcomes alone, this study focuses on the conditions that support psychological well-being through creative participation. The results demonstrate that structured co-creation, rooted in interdisciplinary arts-based research, can create a psychologically supportive space where learning, expression, and personal growth intersect. In conclusion, this research contributes to the expanding field of arts-based mental health education by showing how participatory video game design can foster emotional presence, metacognitive awareness, and peer connection. It encourages further integration of creative, reflective, and collaborative practices into education and youth work contexts, offering a promising model for engaging young adults in meaningful dialogue around mental health.