Gesine Buurman¹, Mark Schweda¹

¹ Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Health Services Research, University of Oldenburg

Background: Digital, gamification-based health technologies promise innovative approaches to psychotherapeutic care for children and young people. As part of the Federal Ministry of Health’s ‘GamKi’ call for proposals, 14 joint projects have been funded since January 2025 to research and develop such measures. Given the experimental nature of these interactive technologies and the vulnerability of the target group, a wide range of ethical issues arise which must be addressed as early as the research process. Against this background, a supporting project has been funded which, in addition to a cross-consortium evaluation, examines issues of (de-)stigmatisation and human-technology interaction, as well as ethical aspects within the framework of an ELSA hub.

Objectives: As part of the ELSA Hub’s work, ethical aspects of the consortium projects are to be systematically documented across all projects. On this basis, support structures will be established for project participants from the fields of psychiatry, psychotherapy and technology development, with the aim of strengthening ethical competencies within the research processes. At the same time, cross-cutting themes in the field of gamified digital interventions in the psychotherapeutic care of children will be identified and made available to the research community.

Methods: Based on an embedded ethics approach, the ELSA Hub implements structured needs assessments, measures for ethical reflection, awareness-raising and the promotion of ethical competencies, as well as networking opportunities. These include, in addition to a contact point for ethical enquiries, regular ELSA touchpoints, the creation of an ‘Ethics by Design Toolbox’ and workshops. For relevant cross-cutting issues, best-practice guidelines are agreed upon in collaboration with researchers using the Delphi method, and peer-to-peer training programmes are developed.

Results: An insight is provided into the ELSA Hub’s working methods during the first year of funding. Furthermore, findings regarding the identification of cross-cutting issues guiding research will be presented. In particular, the challenges of adopting a cross-consortium perspective on integrated ethics in relation to cross-cutting issues, as well as the specific characteristics of psychiatry and psychotherapy, will be taken into account. In this context, ethical issues will be examined in the light of the consequences of technology and potential processes of stigmatisation.