Collaborative play in a mentalisation-based serious game for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Authors

Mitchel Mesker, Suzanne D M Derks, Paula S Sterkenburg

Published in

Journal of intellectual & developmental disability. Pages 1-16. Sep 19, 2026. Epub Sep 19, 2026.

Abstract

People with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities often struggle with mentalising and stress regulation because of developmental delays. Mentalisation-based serious games offer an accessible, engaging way to support them. Adding collaborative play may further enhance effectiveness through communicative interaction.
Participants (n = 82) played the mentalisation-based game 'You & I' with a professional caregiver, matched to RCT data from playing alone. Linear mixed models were used to analyse the data on mentalisation and stress regulation, and social validity was investigated.
Collaborative play did not significantly affect mentalising or stress regulation compared to playing alone. Social validity ratings indicated that collaborative play was anticipated and experienced positively.
Findings should be interpreted considering non-randomisation, limited reliability, and absence of pre-intervention caregiver training. Further research should examine mechanisms linking communicative behaviours to mentalisation and develop reliable instruments for people with mild to borderline intellectual disabilities.

PMID:
42760848
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Sep 2026.

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