Amazon Ads & Twitch launch gaming mental health support – FutureFive Australia

Amazon Ads and Twitch have launched a gaming-based mental health initiative with Movember for young men, offering free support sessions through gaming communities in Australia. Called Squad Support, the programme also involves Minds Support Network and GamerCounsel, which will provide trained counsellors and support practitioners for one-to-one and group sessions. Participants can choose to play individually with a counsellor or join a small group session with two others. The project is based on the idea that some young men find it easier to connect through shared activities than in a conventional counselling setting. It uses the phrase “U GUD?” as a prompt for players to check in on friends, drawing on the better-known gaming expression “Git Gud”. According to figures cited by the organisations behind the project, 47% of Australian male gamers aged 18 to 34 have made friends through video games. Separate research from Mission Australia’s Youth Survey found that 38.1% of young respondents experience loneliness at least some of the time. Sessions will take place on Discord, where participants can communicate by voice, video and text while gaming. The initiative has been allocated 500 participant hours of support, including time for triage and safeguarding. While the campaign is
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