By J. Sharpe Smith
If you’re curious about the latest trend in mental health, skip TikTok. Instead, you might want to look back to China in the 1850s. The tile-based game mahjong caught on during the Qing Dynasty around Shanghai and Ningpo, where players enjoyed its balance of strategy and a little luck. It’s also a fun way to make friends.
Perhaps even more important, it’s good for your brain. Recent studies suggest that mahjong may improve attention and memory, which is why the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative is hosting a fundraising event called Mahjong for Mental Health on Sept. 15 at RDG Planning & Design. The event is part of the nonprofit’s ongoing Make It OK campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness by starting conversations and increasing understanding.
The game “requires good memory, good strategy and pattern recognition,” Dr. Erika Hutz, a Chicago-based geriatrician, told NBC Chicago 5 in May. It’s one of the activities she recommends for healthy aging.
One study, published in Frontiers in Neurology, concluded that playing mahjong for 12 weeks improved the executive function of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). “Because mahjong is a simple, low-cost entertainment activity, it could be widely applied to slow down or reverse the progression of cognitive decline in people with MCI, including those with traumatic brain injury,” according the report.
The local event will include a friendly competition with open play after a brief introduction from Make It OK advocates and Juliann Cline (aka Mahjong Mama DSM), who organizes local games. Participants should already have a basic understanding of the rules, since there will be no formal instruction, although Cline will be on hand to answer questions and assist. A light dinner and drinks will be provided.
Details and tickets are available online.
J. Sharpe Smith is a freelance writer, specializing in the tech industry. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, hiking and photography.
