On this episode of Jargon Schmargon, we explore the terms “mental health” and “mental illness” in more detail. 

Now you may be saying to yourself, “mental health, what does that have to do with games?”. Actually, a whole lot. Not only do a lot of my videos focus on the ways in which video game play can impact mental health or mental wellness, but this month I will be focusing my content on discussing mental health stigma in games. As such, it is important that we all on the same page when discussing these basic concepts. Also, mental health is something that is part of all our lives, so in that sense talking about mental health is beneficial for us all.

Before diving in, I’d like to also mention if you are interested in learning more about mental health representation in games, be sure to check out the video essay “On Writing: Mental Illness in Video Games” by Hello Future Me (produced in conjunction with Take This). I cannot recommend it enough, it was even selected by Polygon as one of the best video essays of 2020.