치매예방 게임놀이치료 프로그램이 일반노인의 인지강화, 자기효능감, 사회성에 미치는 효과

The Effects of a Dementia Prevention Game-Based Therapy Program on Cognitive Enhancement, Self-Efficacy, and Sociality in Elderly Individuals

This study aimed to examine the effects of a dementia prevention play therapy program on cognitive enhancement, self-efficacy, and sociality in older adults. The experimental group consisted of 10 elderly individuals aged 65 and older, who voluntarily participated in the dementia prevention program at the D Senior Welfare Center, did not have a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and scored 23 or higher on the K-MMSE-2 screening test. The play therapy program ran from April to June 2024, twice a week for 120 minutes per session, totaling 12 sessions. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and independent-sample t-tests with SPSS 21. The results of this study are as follows: 1. The experimental group participating in the dementia prevention play therapy program showed significant improvement in cognitive function scores compared to the control group. 2. The experimental group showed significant improvement in all factors of self-efficacy compared to the control group. 3. The experimental group showed significant improvement in sociality subfactors including expansiveness, closeness, cohesion, competence, and reliability, excluding healthiness, compared to the control group. Based on these results, it was confirmed that the dementia prevention play therapy program has positive effects on cognitive enhancement, self-efficacy, and sociality improvement in older adults.