益智游戏成公司减压新宠

    “很久以来我就已经知道这类科学研究了。结果令人信服，”尼尔说。“这就是认知行为疗法；（通过这些游戏，）不必去见医生就能接受治疗。”

    杰西•赖特是路易斯维尔大学（University of Louisville）的精神病学教授，脑力资源公司在阐述该程序的科学基础的白皮书中就引用了他在计算机辅助认知疗法上的研究。他告诉我们，自助和认知行为疗法（CBT）的联系由来已久。

    “实施认知行为疗法的计算机程序得到广泛应用，可以帮助那些还没有患上精神疾病的人，认知行为疗法的实践策略在解决问题、管理压力等方面都有帮助，”赖特在给《财富》杂志（Fortune）的电子邮件中写道。“不过要注意的是，如果确实患有抑郁症这类精神疾病，很可能需要正规和精心设计的救助计划才能减轻症状。”

    全美互惠保险公司的案例研究发现：根据脑力资源公司收集的问卷回应，经常玩这些游戏的员工的积极思维增加了5%，社交技巧提升了8%，情绪韧性加强了9%。同样地根据员工的自我报告，由于生产率提升8%，而缺勤率下降7%，公司的盈利能力也得到实质性的提升。

    除去改进大脑功能的直接效益，这些游戏还能与各种保健项目共同作用，帮助员工实现其它健康目标，比如减肥、锻炼以及戒烟。除了在那些能帮助他们坚持计划的认知领域继续努力，员工还可以在“脑力培养方案”里设定目标，跟踪进度。

    “它与其它项目配合时效果最好，”全美互惠保险公司主管健康及生产率事务的副总裁凯瑟琳•赫拉斯说。“如果我想实施一个减肥计划，学习关于大脑激励机制和运作机制的知识将非常有助于我改变自己的行为。”

    “脑力培养方案”充满趣味的游戏氛围也帮助全美互惠保险公司实现了另一个目标：员工援助计划变得更具吸引力，不再让人羞于参与。2007年，公司的员工援助计划整体使用率虽然仅为7.7%，但已远超行业平均水平的4%。而在引入“脑力培养方案”后，员工援助计划的使用率在2011年跃升到了18.4%.

    赫拉斯称，公司更广泛的保健计划获得了更大成功，而“脑力培养方案”对此贡献匪浅。例如，公司的肥胖及超重员工的比率在2010年到2012年间都出现了下降。

    “2012年，公司有史以来第一次有超过70%的员工被划入低风险人群。而高风险人群的比率仅7%，为历史最低记录，”赫拉斯说。“这个项目独立运作的效果就已经不错了。和咨询配合起来也很好。从最健康的人甚至到最危重的病人，它对每个人都有用。”

    "I've been aware of the science for quite a while. It's very compelling," Nill says. "It's cognitive behavioral therapy; you're just doing it without them having to sit in a therapist's office."

    Self-help and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have a long history with each other, according to Jesse Wright, a psychiatry professor at the University of Louisville whose research on computer-assisted cognitive therapy was cited by Brain Resources in a white paper on the scientific basis for the program.

    "Wide spread use of CBT computer programs does have the potential of helping people who do not have psychiatric illness but could benefit from the practical strategies of CBT to enhance problem solving, stress management, etc.," Wright wrote to Fortune in an email. "A caution is that people with real problems such as depression would likely need genuine, well-constructed help programs to relieve symptoms."

    At Nationwide, a case study found that workers who played the games regularly increased their positive thinking by 5%, boosted social skills by 8%, and heightened their emotional resilience by 9%, based on self-reported responses to Brain Resources questions. The company's bottom line improved as well, with an 8% improvement in productivity and 7% decrease in absenteeism, also self-reported.

    Beyond the immediate benefit of improving brain function, the suite of games can work in tandem with other wellness programs to help individuals achieve other health goals, such as weight loss, exercise, or quitting smoking. Employees can set goals within the My Brain Solutions software and track their progress, in addition to working on cognitive areas that will help them stick to the plan.

    "The best outcomes are when people are doing this along with another program," says Kathleen Herath, associate vice president for health and productivity at Nationwide. "If I'm trying to do a weight loss program, learning what motivates my brain and how my brain functions is the key to helping change my behavior."

    The fun, game atmosphere of My Brain Solutions helped Nationwide achieve another goal: making the employee assistance program more appealing and stigma-free. While overall EAP use at Nationwide was at 7.7% in 2007 -- already higher than that year's industry average of 4% -- after introducing My Brain Solutions in 2009, EAP use skyrocketed to 18.4% in 2011.

    My Brain Solutions contributed to greater effectiveness of the broader wellness offerings, Herath says. For instance, Nationwide's percentage of obese and overweight workers has declined between 2010 and 2012.

    "In 2012, for the first time more than 70% of the population is low risk. Our high-risk population is at an all time low of 7%," says Herath. "This is a great mechanism to do by itself. It's a great mechanism to do with counseling. There are applications to it that run across the gamut from our most healthy to our most critical."