Don't tell your teens, but gaming can be good for mental wellbeing (and older brains can benefit too!)

Exasperated parents may decry video games as a mind-destroying waste of time as they try to prise their children away from them. But could video games – whisper it – actually be good for us? A new study from Japan suggests they can significantly improve mental wellbeing in children and adults. 'These games can serve as distraction or emotional release, providing stress relief, mood enhancement and a sense of accomplishment,' Dr Hiroyuki Egami, an assistant professor at Nihon University and the lead author of the study, told Good Health. The behavioural scientist, who analysed the effects of gaming on people aged from ten to 69, added that many parents'feel excessively worried about their children's video game habits, fearing potential negative consequences'... but'our study now provides robust scientific evidence to ease some of those worries'.