Wii Exercise Video Games Help Reduce Depression in Seniors

Approximately 7 million US adults age 65 and older suffer from minor or subsyndromal depression. Exercise can help reduce the symptoms of depression, but who wants to exercise when they are depressed?

Researchers in California addressed this problem by introducing senior citizens to the latest in exercise equipment -- the Nintendo Wii. In the process, they discovered exercise video games can significantly reduce the symptoms of subsyndromal depression in senior citizens and greatly increase their quality of life.

What is Subsyndromal Depression?
Subsyndromal Depression (SSD) is a less severe form of depression. Depression is categorized by the number and frequency of symptoms displayed by an individual. A person with major depression will experience five or more symptoms of depression almost all of the time. People experiencing minor depression have two to four depression symptoms most of the day, almost every day. Those with subsyndromal depression may show the same number of symptoms as minor depression, but only a few days during the week or a few hours each day.

Though subsyndromal depression falls toward the end of the depression scale, it does not mean people who experience it do not suffer. People with subsyndromal depression struggle with painful emotions, such as a feeling of worthlessness. Senior citizens who suffer with subsyndromal depression are less likely to care for themselves, which is often evidenced by poor eating and grooming habits, and their level of physical activity drops off greatly.

Most senior citizens do not recognize or receive treatment for their depression, which puts them at a higher risk of sinking into major depression. A study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Mental Health suggests one out of every ten seniors with subsyndromal depression will develop major depression within one year.

Using Wii Exercise Video Games to Fight Depression in Seniors
Researchers recently conducted a small study to test how exercise-style video games affect subsyndromal depression in senior citizens. Exercise is known to help alleviate the symptoms of minor depression, yet is often one of the first things depressed seniors stop doing.

"Depression predicts nonadherence to physical activity, and that is a key barrier to most exercise programs," explained Dilip V. Jeste, MD, lead author of the study, in a February 25, 2010, UC San Diego press release. "Older adults with depression may be at particular risk for diminished enjoyment of physical activity, and therefore, more likely to stop exercise programs prematurely."

Participants ranging in age from 63 to 94 years old were asked to pick a preferred sport from the Wii Sports game -- baseball, bowling, boxing, golf, or tennis -- and exercise with the game for 35 minutes, 3 times per week. The Nintendo Wii video game system encourages exercise by making the player use arm and body movements to simulate actual sports activities.

At the end of the study, the participants were asked to rate their experience using the game. In addition, the mental state of each study member was evaluated.

"The study suggests encouraging results from the use of the exergames," said Dr. Jeste. "More than one-third of the participants had a 50-percent or greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Many had a significant improvement in their mental health-related quality of life and increased cognitive stimulation.

"The participants thought the exergames were fun, they felt challenged to do better and saw progress in their game play," Jeste continued. "Having a high level of enjoyment and satisfaction, and a choice among activities, exergames may lead to sustained exercise in older adults."

Choosing the Best Wii Game for Seniors
While encouraged by the results of the study, Dr. Jeste also stressed the need for caution when selecting a game for seniors. The physical limitations of each individual must be considered to reduce the risk of injury during game play.

In addition to the Wii Sports games mentioned above, other exercise-style sports activities for the Nintendo Wii game system include badminton, basketball, croquet, horse shoes, lawn darts, volleyball (Summer Sports Paradise), sword fighting, water scooters, and playing Frisbee with a dog (Sports Resort).

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Additional source:

University of Rochester Medical Center:
Study Finds Lesser Conditions a Stepping Stone to Major Depression