Gaming, Mental Health and Building a Safer Industry
Gaming can be an escape, a way to connect with friends, family and communities. For many people an important part of everyday life. But mental health both for the people who play games and those working within the games industry, is a conversation that deserves far more attention.
Safe In Our World is a video games mental health charity dedicated to fostering positive mental health and wellbeing across the gaming community. The charity provides information, resources, training and support for players and games industry professionals, while working with developers, publishers, creators and organisations to help make the industry a safer and more supportive place.
At WildStarGaming, this is something we strongly believe deserves a bigger spotlight. We are proud to be part of Safe In Our World’s Level Up Mental Health programme, joining gaming organisations across the industry that are committed to improving mental health awareness, workplace wellbeing and access to support.
Being part of Level Up gives us an opportunity not only to support the work Safe In Our World is doing, but also to learn from it, improve the way we operate as a growing gaming platform and help bring some of these important conversations to our own community.
For this special Q&A, we spoke with Sky Tunley-Stainton, Head of Programmes at Safe In Our World, and Izzie Micul, Programmes Coordinator.
Sky oversees a number of the charity’s key initiatives, including the Level Up Mental Health programme, Mental Health Star Accreditation, training and its ambassador programme. Sky is also a passionate advocate for neuroinclusivity and has spoken openly about the important role gaming and gaming communities can play in people’s mental wellbeing.
Izzie works closely with Safe In Our World’s industry partners, helping to run and develop the Level Up programme alongside its training, resources and other initiatives. Their work focuses on helping organisations across the games industry gain better access to practical mental health and workplace wellbeing support.
We spoke to Izzie and Sky about gaming and mental health, recognising when someone may be struggling, supporting friends, dealing with toxicity online, creating healthier workplaces, the Level Up programme and what Safe In Our World hopes to achieve in the future.
We would like to thank Izzie and Sky for taking the time to speak with WildStarGaming and for their continued dedicationto the important work being done at Save In Our World.
Q&A
- Let’s start with you
Could you tell everyone a little about yourself and your role at Safe In Our World?
Sky (they/them): I’m the Head of Programmes at Safe In Our World, leading on a number of
our key initiatives such as our Level Up Mental Health programme, Mental Health Star
Accreditation, charity Ambassadors, and our training offers. I’ve been a lifelong gamer and
have my own experience with mental illness, meaning the charity’s mission is very close to
my heart. As an Autistic person with ADHD, I’m also a passionate advocate for neuroinclusivity and aim to include that in all the work I do.
Izzie (she/they): I’m the Programmes Coordinator: I look after our industry partners day-today, maintaining our Level Up programme, training, and resources. I also support Sky with
developing new offers for our programmes. Gaming has always been an important part of my
life, it’s helped me through periods of poor mental health, and let me build connections with
people I would’ve otherwise never met. As an autistic ADHDer with chronic pain, I’ve always
been very outspoken about disability inclusion and creating safe spaces for everyone to
thrive. - Why gaming?
Why do you believe gaming can have such a positive impact on people’s mental health?
Sky: Video games have such a unique capacity to frame mental health conversations. Unlike
other forms of media such as film and TV or music, when you’re playing a game you are
intrinsically connected with the character and the story by nature of controlling them; you are
feeling what they feel and acting on the consequences of that.
Izzie: If you’re experiencing mental illness or poor mental health, and you play a game where
the characters are too, it can really help you to feel less alone, and might even help you work
through some of those emotions. Additionally, games like Hellblade and On Constant Delay
have absolutely changed the way some people see and understand conditions like psychosis
or OCD, even if they have no personal experience with it.
Sky: Plus, so many people use games as a crucial outlet for their emotions – an opportunity
to escape into a relaxing or familiar environment, and press pause on the day-to-day
stressors of life for a little while. - What is Safe In Our World?
For anyone hearing about Safe In Our World for the first time, what is the organisation and
what is its mission?
Izzie: At Safe In Our World, we support the mental health of those who make games and
those who play them. Since our founding in 2019, we’ve built a hub of lifesaving resources on
our website – safeinourworld.org – including international crisis lines and helplines,
information about mental health in gaming spaces, and practical resources available to
anyone. We also work with companies across the global video games industry to foster safer,
more inclusive work environments.
Sky: A huge part of our mission is around removing barriers to accessing mental health
information and support, whether you’re a gamer or industry professional. There are so many
reasons why mental health remains so highly stigmatised including financial barriers, lack of
knowledge or time to create support systems, and existing culture around crunch and
burnout that is so prevalent within games. By removing as many of these barriers as possible,
we hope to foster a global gaming landscape where people can reach out if they need help. - Biggest misconception
What’s the biggest misconception people have about gaming and mental health?
Izzie: The biggest misconception is probably that a lot of people still think gaming is overall
bad for your mental health. Gaming is said to increase isolation and reduce connectedness
in relationships. A recent survey showed the opposite: 86% of gamers reported that gaming
had a positive impact on their mental health, three quarters said they built genuine and longlasting friendships, and 68% stated that gaming helped them through the hardest periods of
their life. Gaming can reduce stress, help people recharge, and create a sense of community
and belonging. - Warning signs
What are some early signs that someone might be struggling with their mental health,
whether they’re a gamer or not?
Sky: It’s important to look out for changes in mood or behaviour. Someone could experience
mood swings, be more irritable than usual, or appear hopeless, for example. They might
seem more anxious or worried, struggle with concentration, or get overwhelmed easily. Or
they might start withdrawing from the people in their life, lose interest in usual activities, or
in contrast, spend all their time with one activity and ignore everything else. Ultimately, the
signs that someone is struggling may differ from person to person, so it’s important to look
for changes in their normal behaviour. - Helping a friend
If someone notices a friend isn’t themselves anymore, what’s the best way to start that
conversation?
Izzie: The best thing you can do is reach out and ask them how they’re feeling. When you do,
make sure to choose a moment when you have time to have a conversation and aren’t in a
rush to move on quickly. People often say they’re alright even when they’re not, so it can help
to ask how things are going a bit more specifically, rather than just “how are you?” Openended, genuine questions can help your friend open up – and it’s important to show them
that you’re actively listening without judgement.
Sky: You’re not expected to be a medical professional, either, so being aware of signposting
options going into this conversation is important. Safe In Our World’s Find Help page lists
crisis lines and helplines in over 100 countries, with lots of filtering options to find what’s
right for you: that can be a good place to start. After you’ve had the initial conversation, it can
be helpful to check in with the person regularly for some time after, so they know you’re there
for them if they need it. - Toxicity
Online gaming can sometimes become quite toxic. What advice would you give to people
dealing with harassment or negativity online?
Very relevant.
Sky: Online toxicity is definitely something to be aware of, especially due to how
unfortunately pervasive it is in gaming spaces nowadays. Setting appropriate and effective
boundaries for yourself is a vital way to ensure that you can manage negative interactions
online. This might be looking at how and when you choose to interact with others online, for
example sticking to safe, vetted communities, or in knowing when you need to step away
from things that are upsetting. We worked with Ubisoft to publish the Good Game Playbook
in 2024, which covers some great tips for how to set these boundaries and recognise
inappropriate behaviour in others. It can also help you identify when you might be at risk of
becoming tilted or negatively impacted by the games you’re playing. We also followed these
up in 2025 with three new iterations designed for Kids, Teens and Parents. I’d definitely
recommend checking those tools out. - The Level Up programme
We’ve recently become a Level Up Partner, which we’re really excited about. Could you
explain what the programme is and why you created it?
Izzie: Research shows that the games industry is more susceptible to issues like crunch,
burnout, or impostor syndrome. According to the UKIE Games Industry Census, 60% of
industry professionals live with a mental health condition. Level Up started as an initiative to
call for the industry to unite and commit to change, foster awareness and eliminate mental
health stigma. It has since grown to be a thoughtfully designed programme that is free to
join for anyone in the industry, from developers and publishers to service providers and
retailers. Level Up provides a wealth of free resources to support games industry employers
and their teams in their workplace wellbeing journeys. - Why should others join?
What would you say to developers, publishers, creators or gaming communities who are
thinking about becoming a Level Up Partner?
Izzie: One of the biggest barriers to creating work environments that foster positive mental
health is the cost of it – this is where Safe In Our World comes in. By removing this cost,
companies of all sizes and shapes can get access to free mental health and workplace
wellbeing support, like monthly expert-led training, toolkits and resources that cover mental
health and leadership topics.
Sky: You’ll also have access to some great best practice and recommendations from existing
partners, which can make a huge difference when it comes to knowing where to start in
implementing support. - Looking after ourselves
Running a gaming website or creating content can sometimes feel like you’re always “on”.
What are some simple habits people can build into their day to protect their mental
wellbeing?
Sky: Boundary-setting and getting good at saying “no” is definitely high up on my list of
recommendations. It’s something that is very difficult to practice, but can make a massive
impact in roles that feel endless and can have a high risk of burnout. I would also
recommend identifying offline hobbies: so much of our time is spent online, whether through
work or through gaming for fun, so having something that allows you to fully disconnect and
switch off will give your brain much needed rest. And finally, developing self-awareness and
making time to check in with yourself and how you’re feeling can have a huge impact. When
you’re “always on,” you often forget to think about your basic needs, how you’re feeling, and
you’re more likely to miss changes to your behaviour that might signify something’s wrong.
Izzie: For more tips on putting good mental health practices in place, our Mental Health
Guide for Community Managers is a great resource. The advice in there is ideal for anyone in
a community-facing role, but can also be applied regardless of your job. - The future
What exciting projects or goals does Safe In Our World have over the next year that people
should keep an eye on?
Izzie: We want to expand the offer we have available publicly for individuals and industry
professionals which means working more closely with gamers and creators, as well as
cementing the Level Up Programme and the Mental Health Star Accreditation as industry
best practices. There are a few big things we’re working on in the background that we can’t
really talk about yet, but we’re very excited for when we can finally share more. - Final message
If everyone reading/listening could take away just one message from today’s interview, what
would you want it to be?
Sky: As cheesy as it may sound, we’re here to help. We’ve got heaps of completely free
resources, like self-guided mindfulness toolkits, and loads of information about how gaming
can support mental health awareness, like our collaboration with AbleToPlay. If you’re
struggling or just want to learn more, there’s something for you on our website.
Izzie: And if you’d like to get more involved in supporting the charity, reach out to us on
hello@safeinourworld.com
