Phone game lowers social anxiety by shifting focus on to the positive

People with social anxiety may find relief in a smartphone game that helps shift their attention away from intimidating or negative cues towards positive ones. Researchers found that playing it several times a week significantly reduced social anxiety scores compared with using a sham version.

Brief, game-based therapies like this can fill major gaps in public access to mental health treatments, says Tracy Dennis-Tiwary at The City University of New York.