Dr Laura Helsby

University of York

Laura has been gaming since she was five years old and got her first Gameboy Colour. She achieved a BSc in Psychology from the University of York and a MSc in Foundations in Clinical Psychology from Newcastle University. Currently she is employed as a Lecturer in Psychology at LJMU. Her research interests include the impact of technology on wellbeing and mental health, including research into games, social media, AI and other forms of technology use. She has a particular interest in qualitative work and is interested in both academic and industry collaborations.

Laura's PhD focused on how people with persistent low mood play and experience games, and how this interacts with their mood and wellbeing. It explored gaming preferences, motivations for play, and changes in mood and wellbeing experienced during play. Overall, this thesis made three key contributions to knowledge: 1) People with persistent low mood desire low-effort gaming experiences, 2) Games have an overall positive impact on persistent low mood and this impact motivates play, and 3) Persistent low mood symptoms may reduce the benefits gained from gaming. This research has applications in game design, mental health and helps contribute to the understanding of player experience.