23 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION utilised outside the clinical context; they may be offered as (applied) standalone and/or a freely accessible (commercial) game. For individuals with mild symptoms, who may not require intensive therapy but could benefit from self-guided interventions, video games may provide support, education, and self-help resources. That way, mental health games can help individuals manage and improve their mental health in a convenient manner. Outside the traditional healthcare setting, however, individuals’ motivation to pick and play a video game to improve their mental health becomes an important condition for the exploit of the implementation potential of video games. Therefore, it is essential to consider and address the factors that enhance motivation to engage with games for mental health. One factor potentially influencing the reach and impact of video games is the way in which games for mental health are presented and promoted. How these games are marketed, framed, and communicated can influence their acceptance and engagement. One approach may be promoting mental health games as proven tool for enhancing mental health. This approach involves highlighting the evidence-based benefits of the games. By emphasizing the positive outcomes and scientific validity of mental health games, individuals may be more inclined to engage with them, recognising the potential value they can offer to mental health (M. B. Oliver & Krakowiak, 2009). While some individuals may be motivated by the potential health benefits, others may experience limited autonomy and feelings of resistance in response to an explicitly promoted mental health aim (Brehm, 1966; Dillard & Shen, 2005; A. S. Richards & Banas, 2015). Another approach would therefore be to position mental health games as regular entertainment games rather than explicitly highlighting their therapeutic nature. This ‘stealth’ approach involves presenting the mental health game as enjoyable and engaging entertainment experiences and may motivate individuals to engage with the game without feeling stigmatised or triggering resistance. Understanding messaging effects can inform the design and promotion of mental health games to maximise engagement and motivation. Moreover, personal motivational traits of youth are likely to influence their receptiveness and the degree to which explicit messages about mental health resonate with them. For example, the desire to improve one’s mental health may motivate individuals to pick and play games explicitly promoted for their mental health benefits. As outlined earlier, motivation to change has been found to be an important predictor of help-seeking, adherence, drop-out and treatment engagement (Brogan et al., 1999; Derisley & Reynolds, 2000; Norcross et al., 2011; Taylor et al., 2012). Likewise, symptom severity may be
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