Effects of Serious Games on Depression in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Depression is a severe psychological concern that negatively affects health in older adults. Serious games applied in various fields are considered appropriate interventions, especially in mental health care. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of serious games on depression i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical Internet research 2022-09, Vol.24 (9), p.e37753-e37753
Main Authors: Kim, Yesol, Hong, Soomin, Choi, Mona
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Bias
Citation management software
Clinical trials
Cognition
Cognitive functioning
Computer & video games
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Depression, Mental
Educational software
Extraction
Games
International economic relations
Intervention
Medical research
Mental depression
Mental health
Mental health care
Mental health services
Meta-analysis
Older people
Pandemics
Physical activity
Psychiatric services
Random effects
Researchers
Review
Systematic review
Video game industry
Virtual reality
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Summary:Depression is a severe psychological concern that negatively affects health in older adults. Serious games applied in various fields are considered appropriate interventions, especially in mental health care. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effects of serious games on depression in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and effectiveness of serious games for depression in older adults. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials were conducted. In total, 5 electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library) were searched to identify relevant studies published until July 6, 2021. A total of 2 reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisals. The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. For the meta-analysis, the effect size was calculated as the standardized mean difference (SMD) by using a random effects model. A total of 17 studies with 1280 older adults were included in the systematic review, and 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Serious game interventions were classified into 3 types: physical activity (PA), cognitive function, and both PA and cognitive function. The meta-analysis demonstrated that serious games reduced depression in older adults (SMD −0.54, 95% CI −0.79 to −0.29; P
ISSN:1438-8871
1439-4456
1438-8871
DOI:10.2196/37753