Casual games aren't just fun, but they can be beneficial for your health as well. At least, this is according to a new study from East Carolina University.

According to the study, casual games have a bunch of therapeutic applications that address mood- and stress-related disorders.

The games that were used in the study were mainly from PopCap - Bejeweled, Peggle, Bookworm; they're all from PopCap Games. According to the study, Bejeweled 2 on its own was found to reduce stress by 54%. Other games were found to reduce tension and depression.

In general, the games were able to reduce psychological tension, anger, depression, fatigue, and confusion. The games were particularly effective with reducing confusion. They were also found to reduce vigor in test subjects.

So if you're feeling stressed out, just sit back and enjoy a casual game. Pick up the Wii, or play a game on Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network. It'll do you good. You can whip out your iPhone and start playing Java games in the bus. The DS and PSP handhelds also have a ton of casual games to offer too.

Just try not to get on the nerves of the people you play with, or you'll increase their stress levels.