Mahjong, a game of skill and luck played by four people using domino-like engraved tiles, is often referred to as China’s “national pastime”. Unlike many other popular leisure games, mahjong requires cooperation and strategy between players, which fosters the ideal forum for interaction between people. And according to a new study conducted at the University of Georgia, this engaging social interaction may boost mental health among Chinese elderly people, who are some of the most vulnerable people to depression in the world.
The history of mahjong is somewhat contested, but the current consensus seems to be that it first appeared around Shanghai in the mid- to late-1800s. It quickly became popular in Shanghai and Beijing, then the entire country, and eventually among American expatriates that brought the game back to the United States, where it spread like wildfire in the 1920s.
It’s common for fans of the game to play mahjong with the same group of people for a long time, routinely meeting for game sessions. Some older Chinese people have had the same mahjong partners for decades. Even during the pandemic, the most dedicated players kept in touch by playing mahjong online.
The benefits of engaging in social activities for mental health have been widely reported, but such research has been mainly done in developed nations, such as the U.S. and Japan. To fill the gap, researchers led by Adam Chen, an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Georgia, wanted to investigate the mental health impact of playing mahjong among elderly Chinese people.
The researchers analyzed survey data from nearly 11,000 Chinese people aged 40 years and older from the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Depression symptoms were assessed for each participant and compared to the type and frequency of social participation, including visiting with friends, playing mahjong, participating in a sport or social club, and volunteering in the community.
As a whole, engaging in frequent social activities was associated with better mental health outcomes, playing mahjong was particularly associated with a positive effect. That’s not surprising. Studies looking at brain connectivity during social interaction have found that our brains react strongly to social cues, suggesting that our social networks and interactions also help shape the brain. Besides, talking to people can make you feel better, whereas loneliness can increase the level of cortisol and the level of stress, which can hamper brain activity.
Another 2019 study in England found cultural engagement — i.e. going to plays, movies, concerts, and museum exhibits — lowers the risk of developing depression. Studies also suggest that playing brain games can help in sharpening certain cognitive abilities such as planning, processing speed, and decision making.
“What is more surprising is that mahjong playing does not associate with better mental health among rural elderly respondents,” Chen said in a statement. “One hypothesis is that mahjong playing tends to be more competitive and at times become a means of gambling in rural China.”
Poor mental health is a huge burden on China, accounting for 17% of the global disease burden of mental disorders. These findings may offer a guide for policymakers looking to design interventions to improve mental health among older Chinese, which could also translate to Asian American communities.
“Social participation manifests itself in different formats within different cultural contexts,” said Chen.
“Older Asian Americans have a much higher proportion of suicidal thoughts than whites and African Americans,” he said. “Improving social participation among older Asian Americans may help to address this burden to the U.S. population health that has not received due attention.”
The findings appeared in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
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Mahjong, mchezo wa ustadi na bahati unaochezwa na watu wanne wakitumia vigae vilivyochongwa kama domino, mara nyingi huitwa "burudani ya kitaifa" ya China. Tofauti na michezo mingine mingi maarufu ya burudani, mahjong inahitaji ushirikiano na mkakati kati ya wachezaji, ambayo huendeleza jukwaa bora la mwingiliano kati ya watu. Utafiti uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia unaonyesha kuwa watu wazima wa China wanaathiriwa zaidi na ugonjwa wa kushuka moyo. Historia ya mahjong ni ya utata, lakini kwa sasa inaonekana kuwa ilionekana kwanza karibu na Shanghai katikati hadi mwishoni mwa miaka ya 1800. Mchezo huo ulipendwa sana huko Shanghai na Beijing, kisha nchini kote, na hatimaye kati ya wahamiaji wa Marekani ambao walileta mchezo huo Marekani, ambapo ulienea kama moto wa mwituni katika miaka ya 1920. Ni kawaida kwa mashabiki wa mchezo kucheza mahjong na kundi moja la watu kwa muda mrefu, mara kwa mara kukutana kwa ajili ya vikao vya mchezo. Baadhi ya Wachina wazee-wazee wamekuwa na washirika sawa wa mchezo wa mahjong kwa miongo mingi. Hata wakati wa janga hilo, wachezaji waliojitolea zaidi waliendelea kuwasiliana kwa kucheza mahjong mtandaoni. Faida za kushiriki katika shughuli za kijamii kwa afya ya akili zimeripotiwa sana, lakini utafiti kama huo umefanywa hasa katika mataifa yaliyoendelea, kama vile Marekani na Japan. Kwa mujibu wa utafiti uliofanywa na Adam Chen, profesa wa sera za afya katika Chuo Kikuu cha Georgia, watu wazima wa China wanaohusika katika mchezo wa mahjong wanaathiriwa na hatari ya kuambukizwa virusi vya corona. Watafiti hao walichunguza takwimu za utafiti wa watu 11,000 wa China wenye umri wa miaka 40 na zaidi kutoka kwa utafiti wa China Longitudinal Study ya Afya na Kustaafu. Alama za unyogovu zilipimwa kwa kila mshiriki na kulinganishwa na aina na mzunguko wa ushiriki wa kijamii, ikiwa ni pamoja na kutembelea marafiki, kucheza mahjong, kushiriki katika klabu ya michezo au kijamii, na kujitolea katika jamii. Kwa ujumla, kushiriki katika shughuli za kijamii mara kwa mara kulihusishwa na matokeo bora ya afya ya akili, kucheza mahjong hasa kulihusishwa na athari nzuri. Hilo halishangazi. Utafiti wa ubongo wakati wa mwingiliano wa kijamii umegundua kuwa ubongo wetu unaitikia kwa nguvu ishara za kijamii, ikidokeza kuwa mitandao yetu ya kijamii na mwingiliano pia husaidia kuunda ubongo. Kwa kuongezea, kuzungumza na watu kunaweza kukufanya uhisi vizuri, ilhali upweke unaweza kuongeza kiwango cha cortisol na kiwango cha mkazo, ambacho kinaweza kuzuia shughuli za ubongo. Uchunguzi mwingine uliofanywa mnamo 2019 uligundua kuwa ushiriki wa kitamaduni ni muhimu kwa watu wa Uingereza. kwenda kwenye michezo ya kuigiza, sinema, maonyesho ya muziki, na maonyesho ya majumba ya makumbusho <unk> hupunguza hatari ya kupatwa na mshuko wa moyo. Utafiti pia unaonyesha kwamba kucheza michezo ya ubongo inaweza kusaidia katika kuimarisha uwezo fulani wa utambuzi kama vile kupanga, kasi ya usindikaji, na kufanya maamuzi. "Kilichoshangaza zaidi ni kwamba kucheza mahjong hakuhusishi na afya bora ya akili miongoni mwa watu wazima wa vijijini waliojibu", Chen alisema katika taarifa. "Hipoti moja ni kwamba kucheza mahjong huwa na ushindani zaidi na wakati mwingine inakuwa njia ya kamari katika vijijini vya China. "" Afya mbaya ya akili ni mzigo mkubwa kwa China, ikisababisha 17% ya mzigo wa ugonjwa wa ulimwengu wa matatizo ya akili." Matokeo haya yanaweza kutoa mwongozo kwa watunga sera wanaotafuta kubuni uingiliaji ili kuboresha afya ya akili miongoni mwa Wachina wazee, ambayo inaweza pia kutafsiriwa kwa jamii za Asia-Amerika. "Ushiriki wa kijamii huonekana katika miundo tofauti ndani ya muktadha tofauti wa kitamaduni", alisema Chen. "Wamarekani wazee wa Asia wana uwiano mkubwa zaidi wa mawazo ya kujiua kuliko wazungu na Wamarekani wa Kiafrika", alisema. "Kupunguza ushiriki wa kijamii miongoni mwa wazee wa Asia-Amerka kunaweza kusaidia kushughulikia mzigo huu kwa afya ya idadi ya watu wa Marekani ambayo haijapata umakini unaofaa,"" alisema utafiti huo katika jarida la Social Science & Medicine." Je, hilo lilisaidia?