Playing Tetris can help tackle memories of trauma, trial finds

Playing Tetris could help reduce distressing memories of trauma, a study has found.

Health workers who played the classic computer game as part of their treatment experienced fewer flashbacks, researchers said.

Experts are now hoping to test the method, which they describe as “accessible, scalable and adaptable”, on a larger group of people

The trial, carried out by researchers in the UK and Sweden, included 99 NHS staff exposed to trauma at work - such as witnessing deaths - during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 40 patients were given the treatment which involved playing Tetris, known as imagery competing task intervention (ICTI).

The group were asked to play a slow version of the classic game while briefly recalling a traumatic memory.

They were then asked to use their mind’s eye to imagine the Tetris grid and visualise the blocks.

The ICTI method is thought to weaken the vividness of the intrusive memories by occupying the brain’s visuospatial areas, which help it to analyse and understand physical space.

Emily Holmes, a professor of psychology at Uppsala University - who led the study, said: “Even a single, fleeting intrusive memory of past trauma can exert a powerful impact in daily life by hijacking attention and leaving people at the mercy of unwanted and intrusive emotions.

“By weakening the intrusive aspect of these sensory memories via this brief visual intervention, people experience fewer trauma images flashing back.”

The remaining patients either listened to music by Mozart to help alleviate stress, along with podcasts about the composer, or received standard treatment.

The study, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found that those who received the ICTI treatment had 10 times fewer flashbacks compared to other groups within four weeks.

After six months, some 70% reported having no intrusive memories at all.

The treatment also helped tackle symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Prof Holmes added: “We are delighted to have made a real breakthrough by showing this intervention works.

“It is far more than just playing Tetris, and while it is simple to use, it’s been a complicated process to refine and develop.

“The intervention focuses on our mental imagery, not words, and is designed to be as gentle, brief and practical as possible to fit into people’s busy lives.

“We hope to expand our research so it can be put into practise by determining its effectiveness for a broader range of people and scenarios.”

Charlotte Summers, director of the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute in the UK and professor of intensive care medicine at the University of Cambridge, said: “Every day, healthcare workers across the world are recurrently exposed, to traumatic events in the course of their work, impacting the mental and physical wellbeing of those who care for us when we are unwell.

“At a time when global healthcare systems remain under intense pressure, the discovery of a scalable digital intervention that promotes the wellbeing of health professionals experiencing work-related traumatic events is an exciting step forward.”

The team is now exploring ways to test ICTI on larger and more diverse groups, as well as looking at options for a non-guided version of the game.

Tayla McCloud, research lead for digital mental health at Wellcome – which funded the study, said: “These results are impressive for such a simple to use intervention.

“If we can get similarly strong results in bigger trials, this could have an enormous impact.

“It’s rare to see something so accessible, scalable and adaptable across contexts. It doesn’t require patients to put their trauma into words and even transcends language barriers.

“This study is a key example of why Wellcome is investing in a wide range of mental health interventions, so that in the future everyone will have access to treatments that work for them.”