The effect of recreational games on happiness, life satisfaction, loneliness, and somatisation in elderly individuals: a non-randomized controlled trial

Summary & key facts

In a non-randomized study of 80 nursing-home residents aged 65+, people who played recreational games twice a week for two months reported bigger gains in happiness and life satisfaction and bigger drops in loneliness than a similar group who kept their usual activities. Happiness and life satisfaction rose significantly in the game group (large effect sizes, η² = 0.93 and 0.92, p < 0.0001). Loneliness (emotional and social) fell significantly (η² = 0.94, p < 0.0001). Somatisation did not change significantly inside the game group but was lower than in the control group after the program (small correlations, r ≈ -0.226 to -0.280, p < 0.05). The study was done in two nursing homes in Turkey,

Key facts:

• The study enrolled 80 residents from two nursing homes in Turkey: 40 in the intervention group and 40 in the control group.
• Participants were aged 65 or older and passed a brief cognitive screening (SMMSE).
• The intervention group chose and played four recreational games (hot-and-cold, word challenge, bingo, matching pairs) twice weekly for two months in small groups. The control group continued their usual leisure activities.
• Happiness and life satisfaction increased significantly in the intervention group with very large effect sizes (η² = 0.93 for happiness; η² = 0.92 for life satisfaction) and p < 0.0001. The game group scored higher than the control group at
• Loneliness (both emotional and social) decreased significantly in the game group (η² = 0.94, p < 0.0001). The reductions in loneliness were larger in the intervention group than in the control group at post-test and follow-up (reported corr
• Somatisation (physical symptom reporting) did not change significantly within the intervention group, but the intervention group showed a small reduction compared with the control group at post-test and follow-up (reported correlations roug
• The study used validated short questionnaires at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after the intervention (Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form, Satisfaction with Life Scale, De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and SCL-90-R somatisation sub
• Methodological limits: the trial was non-randomized, ran in only two nursing homes, had a sample size that gave a calculated power of about 0.71, and was retrospectively registered; the authors advise cautious interpretation and replication

Abstract

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06505070 (retrospectively registered, Protocol ID: Duzce-U-merve0003, Last Update Posted: 2024-08-02). https://ctv.veeva.com/study/the-effect-of-recreational-games-on-happiness-life-satisfaction-loneliness-and-somatisation-in-el?comeFrom=study-search .

Topics

Health and Well-being Studies Health and Wellbeing Research Health disparities and outcomes

Categories

Clinical Psychology Psychology Social Sciences

Tags

Clinical psychology Happiness Law Life satisfaction Loneliness Medicine Political science Psychology Randomized controlled trial Recreation Social psychology Subjective well-being Surgery

Conditions & symptoms

Feeling disconnected from others