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Gaming and mental health

Gaming can be fun, relaxing and a great way to connect with others. But it can also have a negative effect on your mental health. Our guide can help you game safely, stay healthy, and get support if you need it.

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Gaming can affect your mental health in both positive and negative ways. For lots of people, playing games is a way to relax, take a break from stress and have fun. Some games give us a space to be creative or express how we’re feeling, while others can help us practise skills like problem-solving or teamwork. And playing with others can help us feel connected and part of a community. 

But gaming can have a negative impact on your mental health too – like if it becomes hard to stop or begins to take over other parts of your life. It can affect your sleep, your relationships or generally how you feel day to day. 

If you’re worried about your gaming habits, our guide can help you learn more about gaming and mental health, so you can start to notice when gaming is helping you and when it might be time to take a step back.

Two people walking and talking on the street.
There is a difference between a healthy relationship with gaming and one that is negatively affecting your mental health. If your “hobby” is causing you stress and anger, or you’re using it as a coping mechanism to forget about the world around you, then it may be worth thinking about.
Wes: How gaming helped my mental health

Tips for healthy gaming

If gaming is a big part of your life, it can help to think about ways to stay healthy when playing. Everyone is different, so these tips are just suggestions, and you might find some work better for you than others.

Gaming can be a great way to connect with others, but only if everyone feels safe and supported. Being part of a positive community can help you feel good about gaming and make it more enjoyable.

Try to:

  • play with people who treat you and others with respect
  • join communities that feel safe and welcoming
  • mute, block or leave spaces where people are unkind or negative
  • be kind to other players to help create a supportive environment

Gaming is only one part of your life. Making time for other activities can help you look after your wellbeing.

You could try:

  • setting aside time to do something offline, like reading, exercising or spending time outdoors
  • making time for hobbies and interests away from gaming
  • spending time in person with friends, family or people you care about

Some games can also be very competitive, with rankings, achievements or pressure to win. If gaming starts to make you feel stressed, angry or pressured to keep playing, it might help to take a break or try a different type of game.

When you’re focused on a game, it can be easy to forget about things like sleep, food or drinking enough water. Try to make sure you’re still taking care of yourself.

This might include:

  • eating regular meals
  • drinking enough water
  • getting enough sleep
  • taking regular showers or baths

It can help to check in with yourself regularly about how gaming is affecting your mood, sleep and daily life.

Lots of people like to play for long stretches without stopping. But taking short breaks can help you feel better and avoid getting too tired or frustrated.

It might be time to take a break if you:

  • stop enjoying the game
  • start feeling stressed, angry or upset
  • feel tired or hungry
  • notice you’re ignoring things you need to do, like homework

Setting some boundaries around when and how long you play can help you enjoy gaming more. You could try:

  • planning specific times when you play
  • setting an alarm to remind you when to stop or take a break
  • choosing a natural stopping point, like the end of a level or match
  • treating gaming as a reward after finishing things you need to do, like homework
  • leaving time between gaming and going to sleep
  • using night mode or a blue light filter on your device to help you sleep

If you’re finding it hard to stick to these boundaries, ask someone else in your household, a friend or someone you trust to help. It’s easier to stick to time limits if someone else is holding you accountable.

Just like with any hobby, you might spend money on gaming, like buying new games, equipment or in-game items. There’s nothing wrong with spending money on gaming if you can afford it and understand what you’re buying. But many games are designed to encourage spending, and when you’re really focused on a game, it can be easy to lose track of how much money you’re using or make quick decisions without thinking.

To help avoid spending more than you want to, you could try:

  • checking if a game has in-game or in-app purchases before you start playing
  • deciding how much you’re willing to spend and keeping track of it
  • taking a break before buying something to give yourself time to think

If you’re spending someone else’s money, like a parent's, make sure to get their permission first. If you’re worried about how much money you’re spending, our guide to money and mental health can help.

Get more advice on money and mental health

Gaming and gambling

Some game features, like loot boxes, are similar to gambling because they involve chance and the excitement of winning. If you feel pressured to keep spending, or if gaming has led you to start gambling, you should talk to someone you trust. You can also get help and advice on gambling from GamCare.

Get advice on the GamCare website
A young Black woman sitting on a bench in the park. She is smiling.
[Gaming] has provided me with distractions from my chronic pain and it can be really helpful and act as a form of escapism from what I’m going through.
Eden: Gaming and my mental health

What to do if you’re gaming too much

Lots of games are designed to keep you playing. Things like achievements, ranks, rewards and match lengths can make you want to keep going for “just one more game”. And when you’re really focused it’s easy to lose track of time. This can be especially true if you’re neurodivergent and struggle with hyperfocus or time blindness.
If you feel like gaming is starting to take up too much of your time, impact your sleep, or generally affect your mood, it’s time to think about taking a step back.

Here are some signs you might be gaming too much:

  • It stops you from doing other things you enjoy, like spending time with friends or family.
  • You struggle to stop playing or thinking about games, even when you know you should.
  • Gaming gets in the way of things like homework, sleep, school, and taking care of your basic needs.
  • Playing games is the only way you feel able to cope or feel better.
  • You’re spending more money on games than you want to.

Experiencing one of these things doesn’t automatically mean you have a problem with gaming. But it could be a sign you need to make some changes or talk to someone about what’s going on. Here are some things you can do:

Talking to someone about what’s going on can help you think about your gaming in a different way. They can support you if you’re finding it hard to stop, or help you think about ways to feel better. This could be your parents, a friend, a teacher or someone you trust in your community.

If you don’t feel you have anyone to talk to, or if talking feels difficult, you could:

Some people use gaming as an escape from difficult feelings or situations. This can be helpful at times, but if you’re gaming a lot to deal with difficult feelings and it’s now affecting you in other ways, you might want to think about other ways to cope.

You could try:

  • finding activities you enjoy away from gaming, like exercise, art or music
  • trying things that help you relax or distract yourself
  • talking to someone about how you’re feeling

If gaming is making you feel low, anxious or stressed, or you’re struggling to look after yourself, it’s a good idea to speak to your GP. They can support you with ways to cut back on gaming and look after your mental health.

You should also speak to your GP if you think you’re gaming to avoid dealing with other difficult feelings or a mental health condition. They can help you get support for whatever you’re going through.

Get more advice on speaking to your GP

Gaming and addiction

  • If your gaming habits are getting out of control, you may have a gaming addiction or gaming disorder. Here are some signs you might be addicted to gaming:

    • you constantly think about games or want to play
    • you feel irritable or restless when you’re not gaming
    • you hide how much you’re playing or play in secret
    • you feel very tired, get headaches, or have hand pain from long gaming sessions
    • you find it hard to keep up with things like eating, washing or looking after yourself
    • you see friends less or stop activities you used to enjoy so you can game
    • you miss school or responsibilities so you can game
    • you have trouble sleeping because of gaming
    • you’re spending more than you can afford to on games

    Not everyone who experiences these signs has a gaming addiction. But if gaming is starting to affect your wellbeing, relationships or daily life, it might help to get some support. Our guide to addiction can help.

Guide to addiction
A young Black teenage boy wearing a hearing aid. He is laughing with a young Black man in the park.
I used to spend hours playing games on my phone in my room away from my friends and family. I would also spend a lot of money on in-app purchases to level up my ability and receive bonuses. I found it very difficult to stop making these purchases and to put the phone away. It was difficult to focus my attention on anything else, so I decided to make a change.
Ffion, 21: How I improved my relationship with gaming

Staying safe when gaming or streaming online

Gaming and streaming can be a great way to connect with other people and be part of a community. But if you’re interacting with people online, it’s important to think about your safety and privacy. Here are some tips to help keep you safe:

Be careful about what you share when you’re gaming or streaming. Although it’s unlikely, even small pieces of information can be used to find out more about you.

Try not to share anything that can identify you, like:

  • your full name
  • your address or the town you live in
  • your school, college or workplace
  • your phone number

When creating an account, choose a username that doesn’t include personal details. If you use a profile picture, think about whether it shows anything that could identify you, like a school logo or your street name.

Many online games are open to everyone, which means you might be playing with people you don’t know. And remember that people might not always be honest about who they are.

When playing online, be careful of scams – like links or offers that seem too good to be true – and don’t accept gifts from anyone. If you’re playing with anyone you don’t trust or someone who is being unkind, report their account to the gaming platform.

Sometimes people use games or online chats to build trust with young people and then ask them to share personal information or sexual images. This is called grooming. If this happens to you, you should always tell someone you trust or speak to a helpline. You can also block or report the person on the platform so they can’t contact you again.

Find out more in our guide to abuse

Privacy settings can help you control who can see your profile, who can contact you and who you can play with. Every game, console or platform is different, so it’s worth checking your settings to see what options are available and choosing what feels safest for you.

You should also set a strong password for your account to avoid anyone hacking into your account. Strong passwords don’t use personal details, are more than 8 characters long and use a mix of lower-case letters, upper case letters, numbers and special characters.

Mods, cheats or downloads from unofficial websites can sometimes contain viruses or malware. These can damage your device or give hackers access to your personal data.

To stay safer, try to download games, updates or mods only from official websites or app stores.

Different games and streams can include very different types of content. Before watching or playing something new, it can help to check what it’s about and whether it feels right for you.

Games often have age ratings that can help you decide if they’re suitable. If something you’re watching or playing starts to feel upsetting or overwhelming, it’s okay to stop, close the game or take a break.

Gaming communities work best when people treat each other with respect. When you’re playing online, try to:

  • be kind to other players, even if they’re not as experienced as you
  • avoid insulting or blaming others when things go wrong in a game
  • help create a positive space for everyone playing

Bullying and trolling in games

Gaming should be fun, but sometimes people behave badly online. Bullying is when someone repeatedly hurts, intimidates or targets you on purpose. It can happen in games just like it can at school or on social media. A troll is someone who says or does things online on purpose to try to upset you or get a reaction.

Anyone can experience bullying or trolling in games. For example, someone might:

  • say nasty or hurtful things to you
  • say abusive things to you, including offensive language or slurs
  • constantly target you during a game
  • exclude you from playing or gang up on you
  • steal or destroy things you’ve built or collected in a game
  • try to hack your account or find you on social media

Being bullied is never your fault. If this happens to you, there are things you can do to protect yourself and get support, like:

  • avoid responding to trolls or anyone who is trying to upset you (they’re often trying to get a reaction)
  • block, mute or report players who are behaving badly
  • only play with people you trust or who treat others with respect
  • take a break from the game if it’s starting to affect how you feel
  • talk to someone you trust about what’s happening
Get more advice on bullying

Difficult experiences for girls and young women in gaming

While gaming can be a positive space, unfortunately it’s common for girls and young women to experience harassment or unfair treatment when playing online. This might include sexist comments, unwanted messages or being treated differently by other players.

If this happens to you, it’s not your fault. You deserve to feel safe and respected when you’re gaming, and you have every right to be in that space as anyone else.

It might help to:

  • mute, block or report players who are being abusive
  • play with people you trust or in safer, more supportive communities
  • take a break from games or spaces that don’t make you feel good
  • talk to someone you trust about what’s happening

If you’re feeling upset or unsafe, you can also reach out to a helpline for support.

More information and advice

Get help now

  • Childline

    If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.

    Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.

    Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired.

    Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.

    Opening times:
    24/7
    Childline

  • GamCare

    Provides confidential information, advice and support, free of charge, for anyone affected by gambling harms in England, Scotland and Wales.

    They also offer a live webchat and a WhatsApp chat service.

    Opening times:
    24 hours a day
    GamCare

  • Samaritans

    Whatever you're going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support. N.B. This is a listening service and does not offer advice or intervention.

    Opening times:
    24/7
    Samaritans
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This page was reviewed in April 2026.

It was co-created by young people with lived experience of gaming and mental health.

We will next review the page in 2029.

YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK – the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.

Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn’t a mental health support service. If you are in crisis right now and want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

All fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required to submit this form.
Please copy and paste the page link here.
Please do not include personal details. This is not a mental health support service and you will not receive a reply.

Please note:

This form is not a mental health support service. We cannot reply to this. If you are at risk of immediate harm, call 999 and ask for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E. If you are worried about your mental health, call: Childline (for under 19s) on 0800 11 11; or Samaritans on 116 123.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you’d like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

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