Clark University’s Becker School of Design & Technology teamed up with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance (S&PAA) to explore how game-based approaches can help rebuild connection, communication, and a sense of belonging for people living with schizophrenia and psychosis. The partnership is the first of its kind for the Becker School.
According to the S&PAA, the collaboration with Clark University reflects a broader effort to explore new, non-traditional approaches that extend beyond clinical care to address the social dimensions of recovery.
A growing movement in mental health is challenging a long-standing gap in care: how to meaningfully address social isolation, which is fueled by stigma, misunderstanding of psychosis, disrupted education and employment, and the gradual erosion of social confidence and opportunity. According to the S&PAA, social isolation and loneliness are some of the hardest parts of living with schizophrenia.
“Through this partnership, we are seeking a transitional way to rebuild social skills and form real connections — one that can help translate those gains into friendships, employment, and a path toward rebuilding and transforming daily life,” said S&PAA team member and care coordinator Davy Yue in a press release.
Representatives from the S&PAA met with students in Clark’s Becker School of Design and Technology to demonstrate how multiplayer and cooperative games foster communication, collaboration, conflict resolution, and role navigation — skills that can translate into real-world relationships when intentionally designed. The partners began developing early concepts for digital tools that could support connection and recovery.
Eighty students worked in teams of ten and prepared prototypes and tested game-based solutions with ongoing input from S&PAA and faculty. The students presented concepts and prototype demos to the S&PAA earlier this month and shared final submissions last week.
The students were directed by Professor Terrasa Ulm, whose Serious Game Project course allows students to create video games for purposes beyond pure entertainment, such as academic instruction or professional training.
“It was a privilege to be given the opportunity to develop a serious game that will bridge this gap in care for people who suffer from significant mental illness,” Ulm said in a press release. “Our students embraced this opportunity to use their passion and creativity to create a meaningful and transformative experience that will improve the lives of people who suffer from these conditions.”
“Clark students applied their creativity and technical skills to one of the most urgent and human challenges in mental health, reducing isolation, and helping people create social connections,” said Clark University and S&PAA board member Gary Labovich in the press release.
The S&PAA is not the first entity to partner with Clark University on games with a real-world purpose. Since the fall of 2024, the Becker School of Design & Technology has partnered with the Cherkasy State Business College in Ukraine on Resistance Games, a collaboration aimed at reducing isolation, improving communication across boundaries, and co-creating cultural understandings through play.
in 2025, the University hosted its first annual conference on games with a purpose, attracting 350 participants and yielding important discussions about topics such as fostering climate awareness in multiplayer gaming, designing for diversity, and creating games for children with autism. As part of the partnership with S&PAA, Clark plans to hold a discussion session titled Digital Tools to Reduce Isolation in Schizophrenia this fall, wth the goal of convening leaders across healthcare, research, technology, and lived experience to examine how digital innovation can be translated into scalable, real-world solutions.