SynthesisJournal of medical Internet research2022
Effects of Serious Games on Depression in Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in Journal of medical Internet research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06797804 (Effectiveness of Information Technology-Assisted Horticultural Therapy Program on Heart Rate Variability, Stress, Depression and Happiness Among Older Adults Resident in Long-Term Care Facilities), which is not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effectiveness of Information Technology-Assisted Horticultural Therapy Program on Heart Rate Variability, Stress, Depression and Happiness Among Older Adults Resident in Long-Term Care Facilities
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relationship Between Fundamental Motor Skill Proficiency and the Development of Overweight and Obesity in Normally Developing Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Pooled it
- Association Between Esports Participation and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2026Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of preventive psychosocial interventions against depressive and anxiety symptoms in older adults.Psychological medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Assessing the Impact of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Video Games on Improving Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingPooled it
- Effects of an active arcade gaming intervention on psychosocial outcomes for homebound older adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial.BMC geriatrics · 2026Trial
- Facilitating Thought Progression to Reduce Depressive Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Trial
- Innovations to improve outcomes and uptake of psychotherapies for mental disorders: a state-of-the-art review.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026Article
- Exploring Serious Games in Supporting Postnatal Depression: Narrative Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- The effectiveness of serious games for training of attention and executive functions: a systematic review.Frontiers in child and adolescent psychiatry · 2026Review
- Safe Listening Beliefs, Attitudes, and Practices Among Gamers and Esports Participants: International Web-Based Survey.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- The Impact of Place of Residence on Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.AIDS research and treatment · 2025Review
- Effect of a smartphone-based physical intervention on depression, fitness factors and movement characteristics in adults.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Effects of Electronic Serious Games on Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.JMIR serious games · 2024Review
- Parents' Perceptions of Their Parenting Journeys and a Mobile App Intervention (Parentbot-A Digital Healthcare Assistant): Qualitative Process Evaluation.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- The Use of Gamification in the Self-Management of Patients With Chronic Diseases: Scoping Review.JMIR serious games · 2023Article
- Virtual Reality in Clinical Nursing Practice Over the Past 10 Years: Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.JMIR serious games · 2023Review
- Use of artificial intelligence and health-related life satisfaction among older adults: A structural equation modeling study.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression 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.
objectiveThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics and effectiveness of serious games for depression in older adults.
methodsA 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.
resultsA 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<.001). Serious games had a more significant effect size in community or home settings (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.26; P<.001) than in hospital settings (SMD -0.46, 95% CI -0.85 to -0.08; P=.02); however, the difference between groups was not significant. Among the types of games, games for PA (SMD -0.60, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.25; P<.001) and games for both (SMD -0.73, 95% CI -1.29 to -0.17; P=.01) had a significant effect on reducing depression in older adults. However, no significant correlations were observed between the duration or number of serious games and depression.
conclusionsSerious games were beneficial in reducing depression in older adults. Regardless of the study setting, serious games appeared to reduce depression. Particularly, serious games including PA had a significant impact on reducing depression. Furthermore, high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to establish substantial evidence for the effectiveness of serious games on depression in older adults.
trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42021242573; https://tinyurl.com/26xf7ym5.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.