????“很久以來我就已經(jīng)知道這類科學研究了,。結(jié)果令人信服,，”尼爾說,。“這就是認知行為療法,；（通過這些游戲,，）不必去見醫(yī)生就能接受治療?！?/p>

????杰西?賴特是路易斯維爾大學（University of Louisville）的精神病學教授,，腦力資源公司在闡述該程序的科學基礎(chǔ)的白皮書中就引用了他在計算機輔助認知療法上的研究。他告訴我們,，自助和認知行為療法（CBT）的聯(lián)系由來已久,。

????“實施認知行為療法的計算機程序得到廣泛應(yīng)用，可以幫助那些還沒有患上精神疾病的人,，認知行為療法的實踐策略在解決問題,、管理壓力等方面都有幫助，”賴特在給《財富》雜志（Fortune）的電子郵件中寫道,?！安贿^要注意的是，如果確實患有抑郁癥這類精神疾病,，很可能需要正規(guī)和精心設(shè)計的救助計劃才能減輕癥狀,?！?/p>

????全美互惠保險公司的案例研究發(fā)現(xiàn)：根據(jù)腦力資源公司收集的問卷回應(yīng)，經(jīng)常玩這些游戲的員工的積極思維增加了5%,，社交技巧提升了8%,，情緒韌性加強了9%。同樣地根據(jù)員工的自我報告,，由于生產(chǎn)率提升8%,，而缺勤率下降7%，公司的盈利能力也得到實質(zhì)性的提升,。

????除去改進大腦功能的直接效益,，這些游戲還能與各種保健項目共同作用，幫助員工實現(xiàn)其它健康目標,，比如減肥,、鍛煉以及戒煙。除了在那些能幫助他們堅持計劃的認知領(lǐng)域繼續(xù)努力,，員工還可以在“腦力培養(yǎng)方案”里設(shè)定目標,，跟蹤進度。

????“它與其它項目配合時效果最好,，”全美互惠保險公司主管健康及生產(chǎn)率事務(wù)的副總裁凱瑟琳?赫拉斯說,。“如果我想實施一個減肥計劃,，學習關(guān)于大腦激勵機制和運作機制的知識將非常有助于我改變自己的行為,。”

????“腦力培養(yǎng)方案”充滿趣味的游戲氛圍也幫助全美互惠保險公司實現(xiàn)了另一個目標：員工援助計劃變得更具吸引力,，不再讓人羞于參與,。2007年，公司的員工援助計劃整體使用率雖然僅為7.7%,，但已遠超行業(yè)平均水平的4%,。而在引入“腦力培養(yǎng)方案”后，員工援助計劃的使用率在2011年躍升到了18.4%.

????赫拉斯稱,，公司更廣泛的保健計劃獲得了更大成功,，而“腦力培養(yǎng)方案”對此貢獻匪淺。例如,，公司的肥胖及超重員工的比率在2010年到2012年間都出現(xiàn)了下降,。

????“2012年，公司有史以來第一次有超過70%的員工被劃入低風險人群,。而高風險人群的比率僅7%,，為歷史最低記錄，”赫拉斯說,?！斑@個項目獨立運作的效果就已經(jīng)不錯了,。和咨詢配合起來也很好。從最健康的人甚至到最危重的病人,，它對每個人都有用,。”

????"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."