MindAthlete App Helps Pro Gamers Track Mental Health

Esports athletes deal with mental pressures that match those of traditional athletes, yet dedicated tools for their well‑being are hard to find. To close this gap, a team created "MindAthlete", a mobile health app built around the needs of gamers. The app was designed to be intuitive and accessible during long gaming sessions.

The project unfolded in three phases over five months. First, seven experienced sports psychologists were recruited through snowball sampling and met online via Google Meet. They talked about how athletes currently track mental health and what features the app should include. Researchers also noted common barriers like stigma and limited awareness among players. The conversation notes were examined using Mayring’s qualitative content analysis.

Next, a 32‑screen high‑fidelity prototype was designed in Figma based on the gathered requirements. Then 25 semi‑professional and professional gamers took part in usability testing. Participants navigated the Figma mockup and completed an online survey built with LimeSurvey. The questionnaire captured demographics, a 10‑item System Usability Scale (SUS) scored on a 5‑point Likert scale, and open‑ended feedback. Researchers applied Mann‑Whitney U tests, Kruskal‑Wallis tests, and Spearman correlations for the quantitative data, while open responses were analyzed with Mayring’s method. Feedback highlighted navigation ease and visual appeal as strong points, while some users suggested adding mood‑tracking reminders.

Expert input highlighted eight core features that cluster around three main areas for monitoring mental health in esports. The goal of "MindAthlete" is to give gamers a simple, user‑centered way to keep an eye on their psychological state and get support when needed. Overall, the study shows that a tailored mHealth solution can meet the unique mental‑health needs of competitive gamers.