Seniors Who Play Video Games Enjoy Better Mental Health

A study published by North Carolina State University has found that seniors who play video games report a higher level of emotional well-being than those who don’t.

The researchers surveyed 140 people above the age of 63 and asked them how regularly they played video games. The participants then completed a number of tests to evaluation their emotional and social well-being.

They found that 61% of the participants played video games occasionally and 35% of them played at least once a week.

The study concluded that those who played video games, including the participants who only played occasionally, were found to have a high level of well-being.

Those who didn’t play were found to have more negative emotions and a tendency towards depression.

Dr Jason Allaire, the lead author of a paper on the study and an associate professor of Psychology at the university said that “the research published here suggests that there a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning”.

He said that as a next step they are “planning studies to determine whether playing digital games actually improves mental health in older adults.”