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Food allergy (FA) is a chronic condition that can affect adolescents’ emotional well-being, daily functioning, and psychosocial adjustment. Digital interventions based on serious games may support the development of socioemotional competencies in this population, although evidence remains limited. This study explored the psychological outcomes derived from emoTIChealth, a serious game designed to promote psychological adjustment and emotional competencies in adolescents with FA. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design with repeated measures and no parallel control group was conducted in 23 adolescents aged 11–17 years diagnosed with FA. Participants completed assessments at two pre-intervention time points and one post-intervention assessment. Outcomes included health-related quality of life, emotional competencies, socioemotional skills, self-concept, healthy habits, psychopathological symptoms, and perceived disease threat. A significant decrease in emotional awareness-related dimensions was observed, particularly in attention to others’ emotions and global emotional awareness. A significant decrease in Global Difficulties and the presence of psychopathology post-intervention was also observed. The participants’ emotional state and perceived difficulties during the intervention were associated with changes in some psychological outcomes. These findings provide preliminary evidence that emoTIChealth may influence specific emotional processes in adolescents with FA, although its impact on broader psychosocial and health-related outcomes appears limited. Further controlled studies with larger samples are warranted.
Pérez‐Marín et al. (Mon,) studied this question.