The Role of Digital Gaming in Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Methods and Materials
2.1. Literature Search
2.2. Study Selection and Data Extraction
3. Results
3.1. Study Selection and Characteristics
3.2. Intervention Types
3.3. Moderators and Mediators
3.4. Outcomes
4. Discussion
4.1. Types of Digital Games and Their Effectiveness
4.2. Measurement of Loneliness in Gaming Studies
4.3. Interpretation of Outcomes and Contradictory Findings
5. Limitations
6. Future Directions
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Reference (Year) | Study Characteristics | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Type of Game | Intervention | Outcome Measures | Findings | |
Diaz et al. [51] (2024) | IRAGE (Intergenerational Remote Access to Gaming Experiences) | Three “phases” or sessions of an “intergenerational communication experience” | Two quantitative and five qualitative questions asking participants about their gaming experience | Remote inter-generational communication can significantly mitigate isolation among OA. |
Fan and Yang [54] (2022) | “online games” | No intervention; survey of internet use | Quantitative survey of frequency of internet use | Playing games had a more positive effect on depression levels than watching videos. |
Janssen et al. [52] (2023) | Photosnake, a chat-based gaming app | Three sessions for each group: two 1.5-h workshops two weeks apart and one 1-h focus group two weeks after the second session | Selected items from The Older Persons and Informal Caregiver Survey-Short Form (TOPICS- SF); Six-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale; Questions about social network size; Focus group questions | In-person contact for engagement was important for in-game interaction. Game design should focus on aiding in players create personal interaction moments. |
Li, Then, and Foo [55] (2020) | Wii tennis (single and multiplayer) | Two randomly assigned groups played either single-player or multiple-player Nintendo Wii Tennis exergames for 6 weeks | PHQ-9, BSSS, UCLA Loneliness Scale | Social support was not affected by play mode, but there was a significant relationship between social support, loneliness, and depression |
Schell et al. [49] (2016) | Wii bowling | Pre/post questionnaires and interviews for control and experimental group after Wii bowling tournament | Demographic survey; Overall Social Connectedness subscale; UCLA Loneliness Scale; Qualitative interviews | Wii bowling associated with decline in loneliness over 8 weeks. |
Yang and Jin [56] (2022) | “single-player games, online games” | Survey re: frequency of use of internet | Core Symptoms of Internet Addiction and Related Problems of Internet Addiction subscales of the Revised Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R); Brief Sensation Seeking Scale-Chinese (BSSS-C); UCLA-3 Loneliness Scale | Loneliness may be a mediator in excessive internet and online gaming use among older adults; real-world leisure activities may be effective in reducing internet and gaming use. |
Yang et al. [53] (2022) | 14 mobile app types, including games (Candy Crush, Mah jong) | Survey re: frequency of use of apps and 6 loneliness questions | Questionnaire assessing frequency and duration of app use; De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale | No significant relationship found between use of gaming apps and reported loneliness by older adults. |
Xu et al. [57] (2016) | Exergames | A 2 (pre-test vs. post-test) × 2 (young-old vs. old-old) × 3 (play alone vs. play with elderly vs. play with youths) | UCLA Loneliness Scale | Exergaming may affect loneliness differentially across different types of game play and between different aging cohorts. |
Zhu et al. [50] (2023) | Exergame: HappyGoGo (LongGood Meditech, Taipei, Taiwan) | Exergaming intervention consisting of two 40-min sessions being conducted every week over eight weeks | MoCA; Chinese Version of the Loneliness Scale | An 8-week exergaming intervention had significant positive effects on cognitive function but did not positively affect loneliness. |
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Jung, E.; Yu, J. The Role of Digital Gaming in Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review. Healthcare 2025, 13, 2140. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172140
Jung E, Yu J. The Role of Digital Gaming in Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review. Healthcare. 2025; 13(17):2140. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172140
Chicago/Turabian StyleJung, Eunie (Yoon Kyung), and Jiadong Yu. 2025. "The Role of Digital Gaming in Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review" Healthcare 13, no. 17: 2140. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172140
APA StyleJung, E., & Yu, J. (2025). The Role of Digital Gaming in Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Scoping Review. Healthcare, 13(17), 2140. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172140