Key Points
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Playing mahjong boosts brain health because it mixes fun, focus, and social time—all key for staying sharp as we age.
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The game strengthens thinking skills by engaging memory, pattern recognition, strategy, and quick decision-making in every changing round.
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Mahjong builds meaningful connections and calm by bringing people together, creating community, and offering a soothing, screen-free rhythm.
In cities across the country, mahjong is having a moment.
Founded in China in the late 1800s, the tile game traveled the world, including to the U.S., where it became a huge fad in the early 1920s. While it remained the pastime of older generations for many decades, the game has now found renewed interest among younger players, in part due to the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
To play, four players take turns drawing and discarding tiles to form a hand of four sets and a pair, using a mix of skill and luck to create combinations like three of a kind or a sequence. Like most hobbies, aside from the entertainment value, the game offers a wide range of health benefits, like fostering a sense of community, in addition to keeping our minds sharp.
To better understand how playing mahjong supports long-term brain health and overall well-being, we spoke with licensed therapists and mahjong enthusiasts to break down the positive impacts the age-old game can have on modern lifestyles.
Meet Our Expert
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Lara Somerset Patil, a licensed therapist and co-owner of The Collective Counseling & Consulting
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Deepika Chopra, PsyD, a behavioral scientist known as the Optimism Doctor and the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Real Optimism
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Megan Trottier, CEO of gaming brand Oh My Mahjong
It’s Backed By Research
A scoping review published in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2024 examined data from about 53 studies on the cognitive, psychological, and functional abilities in older adults. It found that mahjong players aged 60 years or older showed stable or even improved cognitive function, exhibited better eye–hand coordination than non-players, and experienced a sense of being socially connected.
One study published in the Frontiers in Neurology even showed that just 12 weeks of playing mahjong could improve memory, attention, and the ability to complete everyday tasks like grocery shopping and driving.
It Engages All Five Senses
Like most game nights, a round of mahjong activates the five senses—sight, touch, sound, smell, and taste, “creating a fully immersive experience,” explains Lara Somerset Patil, a licensed therapist and co-owner of The Collective Counseling & Consulting.
As for sight, she points out that players visually track the colors, symbols, and patterns of the tiles arranged across the table, while “the sound of tiles clacking together—steady, rhythmic, and familiar—is often accompanied by conversation and quiet laughter” and “handling the smooth tiles—shuffling, stacking, and arranging them—adds a tactile, grounding element.”
Of course, light refreshments and snacks are often part of the action, which engages your sense of taste and smell. “This sensory involvement encourages presence and focus—two qualities essential to cognitive well-being,” Patil says.
Inspired by her love of the game, Patil created the Sparrow Social Society, a Huntsville, Ala., invitation-only community that focuses on building community, especially among women, through social events, support, and shared experiences. Part of the group’s offerings includes the Mahjong & Mental Health series, where locals can meet up and play.
“I was struck by the growing body of evidence supporting the game’s role in easing anxiety and depression while also supporting long-term cognitive health. As a therapist, it became clear that this was more than a pastime—it was a tool,” she says.
The name of the group, Sparrow Social Society, was also inspired by the game. The word “mahjong” translates to “sparrow” and refers to both the bird-like clacking sound that the tiles make when they’re shuffled as well as the lively, communal nature of the game, Patil explains.
It Offers Mental Stimulation
“Mahjong acts as a brain gym,” says Deepika Chopra, PsyD, a behavioral scientist known as the Optimism Doctor and the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Real Optimism. “It taps into working memory, pattern recognition, and strategic decision-making—all things we know keep our brains sharp as we age. But what makes it really powerful is that you’re doing all that while being socially engaged and frankly having a really freaking good time, which research also shows is just as essential for long-term cognitive resilience and satisfaction.”
Patil agrees, adding that “healthy aging is not defined by longevity alone, but by the ability to remain cognitively engaged, socially connected, and emotionally fulfilled over time.” She says that various cognitive functions are activated during play, including memory, attention, processing speed, and problem solving, because “players must recognize patterns, remember discarded and retained tiles, anticipate opponents’ moves, and adjust strategy accordingly.”
It also keeps you on your toes. “Every round of mahjong is different,” explains Megan Trottier, CEO of Oh My Mahjong, a gaming brand. “Whether you’re playing with different people or playing for a different hand, you constantly need to adapt. It’s not just about luck or strategy but engaging your brain by mixing memory, logic, pattern recognition, and intuition.”
It Builds Connection
When played face to face, mahjong also helps foster conversation, observation, and shared experience. “I have witnessed individuals who once struggled to form social connections exchange numbers, meet outside scheduled gatherings, and develop lasting relationships,” Patil says.
Unlike solitary games, Chopra explains, mahjong involves real-time human interaction. “That matters more than we give it credit for. Playing together helps reinforce dopamine and oxytocin—two powerful chemicals that protect against cognitive and emotional decline. What sets it apart from something like crossword puzzles or solitaire is that mahjong builds community over time. You’re not just playing a game, you’re nurturing a social ritual.”
Community centers, senior centers, libraries, and cultural organizations often host mahjong meetups for both beginners and experienced players.
It Has a Calming Effect
“Most people I work with are genuinely surprised by how emotionally regulating mahjong can be,” says Chopra, who recently formed the Two Palms Mahjong Club, where friends gather and play regularly. “There’s a rhythm to it: the tiles; the shuffling; the steady, gentle focus—all of that has a grounding effect on the nervous system.”
She adds that many women who take up the game tell her that “it’s one of the few spaces where they feel present, connected, and joyful—without needing to perform, produce, or be ‘on’ in any way. … And then there’s this extra sneaky benefit: you’re spending hours together in community without phones, screens, or anything technological.”
Trottier echoes that sentiment, saying that “the rhythm of the game is almost meditative. It’s fast-paced, which means you’re constantly engaged and focused, which is rare in our world where our attention spans are pulled in a million directions.”
Read the original article on Martha Stewart