( Reuters Health ) - Older adults who regularly spend time online are about one-third less likely to suffer from depression, according to a new study comparing them to peers who do not use the internet.
"The biggest impact on depression was really for people who live alone, so it really shows that this is about connecting with others, alleviating isolation and loneliness," said Shelia Cotten. Depression affects nearly eight percent of Americans over the age of 50, or between 5 and 10 million people, say the authors in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B.
"Older adults are more likely to experience depression, loneliness, and social isolation than younger people," Cotten told Reuters Health. A researcher in telecommunications, information, and media studies at Michigan State University in East Lansing, she wanted to see if getting older adults online could lower that risk. Cotten and her colleagues analyzed responses collected over six years by the U.S.
Health and Retirement Survey, a large population study focusing on the transitions Americans go through as they retire. The data included 3,075 men and women who were not living in retirement homes. Researchers identified depression through an eight-item questionnaire, and participants in the survey were asked directly about internet use for email or other purposes.
About 30 percent of the participants were internet users, and when researchers compared depression scores, they found that those who went online had a 33 percent lower likelihood of depression compared to those who did not. The study did not examine how much people used the internet or analyze the effects of specific types of internet use.
"However, in previous studies, results showed that older adults were mostly interested in communicating with family and friends, which is typically done via email," Cotten said. She explained that many older adults have mobility and health issues that prevent them from being able to travel and visit with family. But being able to use email to see photos of their children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren can help them stay in contact.
"So I would really encourage people to help their older loved ones get online and not assume that it's beyond them, because it's not," she said. Cotten added that it might not come as easily to older adults as it does to children, but the research showed that individuals in their 80s, 90s, and even their 100s could still learn to use computers and the internet.
Adult children who are thinking of getting their parents online should think about the interface, Cotten advised. Older adults might prefer tablets over regular laptops or desktop computers because tablets are easier to use and much more portable.
"Start very simply and let them know that they won't break the technology, and that if something happens, you can help them fix it or someone can help them fix it," Cotten said.
"You really have to go a little slower than you would with someone younger and really emphasize repetition – have them practice sending emails to family members or friends or going online to look for various things," she said.
"Practice is key." Once older adults start to see how useful the internet can be in their lives, you've got them hooked, Cotten added.
"It's really about how they can see it integrated into their lives and become useful to them that will help them to stay online," she said. Source: I translated this from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/us-retirees-internet-idUSBREA3L1RG20140422 with the help of http://translate.google.com/#en/id