Game developers' mental health to be the focus of international summit
Game industry employees face a lack of job stability, unclear career trajectories and increased burnout rates, report shows.
- She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Working with games isn't an antidote to job stress.
The International Gaming Summit on Mental Health, which takes place in Toronto on Oct. 9-10, will be the first event of its kind to focus on the mental well-being of game industry professionals. The summit is partnering with mental health nonprofit Take This, which will address how mental illness is represented in games and the mental health of gaming industry employees and even gamers themselves.
The summit coincides with World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 and will delve into the unique struggles that gaming industry professionals face. Take This' State of the Industry 2019: Mental Health in the Game Industry report, released in July, shows that the game development career path isn't an easy one. It's fraught with long hours that can lead to burnout, anxiety and depression, job instability and unclear career trajectories.
"To reduce burnout in the industry, management should minimize determinants, maximize protective factories and begin to change industry cultural norms around work environment and work hours," the study said.
In addition, the industry lacks inclusion and diversity, according to the survey. Of all respondents, 19% identified as female and 32% identified as something other than Caucasian or European. Take This said the lack of diversity and inclusion likely contributes to hostile and challenging work experiences for developers.
"To increase diversity, companies should adopt new hiring practices and listen to the feedback from marginalized groups in the industry to support retention," the survey said.
