Mental health is one of the most prevalent issues facing people not only within the gaming world but on a global scale with the portrayal of mental health in video games being a focal point for many within the industry. The UK-basedMental Health Foundation recently published a studycalling on game developers to make changes within the industry to benefit both the mental wellbeing of workers within the industry as well as many gaming communities. Now, a well-known Twitch personality has pushed for a similar movement among other content creators.With a fanbase of nearly 2 million followers on Twitch, streamerTrainwreck hasn’t been shy to share the wealthhe’s made from his successful career on the platform. The streamer gave away over $4 million last year to charity, as gifts to friends and fellow streamers, and donating toGTAstreamer Buudha following the death of his mother. Trainwreck also often holds charity streams with his gambling streams raising funds for various humanitarian organizations and recently announced his ambitions of starting a mental healthcare fund.RELATED:Twitch Streamer Emiru Addresses Mental Health ConcernsIn a Twitlonger posted by Trainwreck on Wednesday, the streamer officially announced his plan to donate a sum of $250,000 towards the establishment of a mental health organization toassist content creators with the mental wellbeingof their communities. Trainwreck reported that he has already pitched the idea to a non-specified organization that works closely with the United Nations and has already received the approval and cooperation. While specifics on what the organization’s duties would entail were limited, Trainwreck alluded to more information coming in his next post about the movement.
Trainwreck’s movement comes as the increased awareness of mental health has been at the forefront of the streaming world in recent years. Streaming platforms like Altair aimed at promoting mental health for its creators have begun to see a greater focus within the community, anddevelopers like Riot Gameshave looked for opportunities to promote mental health initiatives within their playerbases. Organizations like MY.GAMES and Oxford University have also published major studies on mental health awareness and the benefit of video games towards mental stability.
Beyond the communities, games and movies themselves have taken strides in years towards better representing mental health and accurate depictions of mental illness. Games likeHellbladehave taken deep looks at mental illnesswhile many developers likePsychonauts 2’s Double Fine have sought professional guidance for how to accurately portray characters struggling with these issues. Trainwreck’s initiative towards the promotion of better mental health among online communities has the potential to make waves not only on Twitch, but the online streaming space as a whole.
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