Sister GSW site Serious Games Source, which is running two features per week on the whole 'serious games' phenomenon, plus a bunch of daily news, for those who dig that type of thing, has a new write-up on addressing post-traumatic stress through games, and it's pretty interesting and thoughtprovoking stuff.

The article discusses the Virtual Iraq game, which "is based on the popular commercial Xbox game, Full Spectrum Warrior, using assets from the game on top of others that have been added", and "uses gradual exposure to trauma in a manageable way, which eventually leads to habituation and extinction of the syndrome."

Thus, U.S. Army physicians are able to simulate increasing levels of trauma, from "being attacked or ambushed" to more gruesome follow-ons, "providing 3D sound, vibration and even scents (such as gunpowder, cordite, body odor, garbage, burning rubber, diesel fuel and Iraqi spices)" to add to the mix, to attempt to produce therapeutic results. It all seems disturbing, but since the initial cause is so disturbing - if it works, or helps, we're all for it.