Clark University Students Create Video Games to Help Reduce Social Isolation for People Living with Schizophrenia and Psychosis
WORCESTER, MA — Students at Clark University’s Becker School of Design & Technology are exploring how video games can be used for more than entertainment.
Through a partnership with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, students worked on game-based concepts designed to help reduce social isolation among people living with schizophrenia and psychosis. The collaboration is the first of its kind for the Becker School, according to information shared about the project.
The partnership focused on how multiplayer and cooperative games can support communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, and role navigation. Those skills, when intentionally designed into games, may help people practice social interaction in ways that can translate into real-world relationships.
According to the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, social isolation and loneliness are among the most difficult parts of living with schizophrenia. The organization said the partnership reflects a broader effort to explore approaches beyond clinical care that address the social side of recovery.
“Through this partnership we are seeking a transitional way to rebuild social skills and form real connections, one that can help translate those gains into friendships, employment, and a path toward rebuilding and transforming daily life,” said Davy Yue, S&PAA team member and care coordinator.
Eighty Clark students worked in teams of ten to prepare prototypes and test game-based solutions with continued input from S&PAA and faculty. Students presented concepts and prototype demos to S&PAA earlier this month and shared final submissions last week.
The work was directed by Professor Terrasa Ulm through the Serious Game Project course. The course allows students to create video games for purposes beyond entertainment, including academic instruction, training, and social impact.
“It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to develop a serious game that will bridge this gap in care for people who suffer from significant mental illness,” Ulm said. “Our students embraced this opportunity to use their passion and creativity to create a meaningful and transformative experience that will improve the lives of people who suffer from these conditions.”
Gary Labovich, a board member of both Clark University and S&PAA and a Clark graduate, said the project showed how students can apply creative and technical skills to a major human challenge.
“Clark students applied their creativity and technical skills to one of the most urgent and human challenges in mental health, reducing isolation and helping people create social connections,” Labovich said.
The partnership also builds on Clark’s broader work in serious games. Since fall 2024, the Becker School has partnered with Cherkasy State Business College in Ukraine on Resistance Games, a collaboration focused on reducing isolation, improving communication across boundaries, and supporting cultural understanding through play.
Clark also hosted its first annual conference on serious games last fall, drawing 350 participants. Topics included climate awareness in multiplayer gaming, designing for diversity, and creating games for children with autism.
As part of the S&PAA partnership, Clark plans to hold “Digital Tools to Reduce Isolation in Schizophrenia” this fall. The event is expected to bring together leaders across healthcare and technology to examine how digital innovation can be turned into scalable, real-world tools.
“At the Becker School of Design & Technology, we see games not just as entertainment, but as powerful tools for empathy, learning, and impact,” said Paul Cotnoir, dean of BSDT. “Last year’s inaugural Games for Good Conference, along with this coming year’s symposium, is helping to cement Clark University’s reputation as a leader in game design education focused on positive social change, as we bring together creative thinkers and researchers to build experiences that can meaningfully improve lives.”
The Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance is a national nonprofit organization focused on improving the lives of people affected by schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders through education, support, advocacy, and research.
Clark University’s Becker School of Design & Technology is nationally recognized for game design, interactive media, and emerging technologies.
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Sources:
Information provided from Clark University and the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance.
What We Know:
Clark University’s Becker School of Design & Technology partnered with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance on a serious game project focused on reducing social isolation for people living with schizophrenia and psychosis.
Eighty students worked in teams of ten to develop prototypes and game-based solutions with input from S&PAA and faculty.
The project was directed by Professor Terrasa Ulm through the Serious Game Project course.
Clark plans to hold “Digital Tools to Reduce Isolation in Schizophrenia” this fall.
What Is Not Yet Known:
The specific names of the student games, whether any prototypes will be publicly released, and whether the tools will be tested or used beyond the classroom were not included in the information provided.
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