Personal Investigator (PI) computer mediated adolescent psychotherapy using an interactive 3D game

Personal Investigator is an innovative 3D Internet therapeutic detective game, targeted at engaging adolescents suffering from mental health problems such as depression, in a novel and dynamic way. Users progress through the game by interacting with five 'virtual detectives' who invite them to reflect about their problems and to hunt for 'clues' to possible solutions (based on brief psychotherapeutic techniques). The adolescents also have the opportunity to hear videoed accounts from other young people who have solved similar problems and are invited to complete a special 'detective note book' which they receive as a reward on completion of the game. This paper describes the background and development of the game and discusses the experience of four young people who completed the game with the aid of therapists in an adolescent mental health setting.