A multi-country study has found that internet use is linked to better mental health in adults aged 50 and over. Researchers from City University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong discovered a positive relationship between internet use and reduced depressive symptoms among older adults across 23 countries. The study, titled “Positive association between Internet use and mental health among adults aged ≥50 years in 23 countries,” was published in Nature Human Behaviour.
It used linear mixed models and meta-analyses to examine data from six aging cohorts across 23 high and middle-income countries. This included 87,559 participants with a median follow-up of six years. The cohorts were the Health and Retirement Study (U.S.), the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (England), the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (Europe and Israel), the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (China), the Mexican Health and Aging Study (Mexico), and the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (Brazil).
Results showed that internet use was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better self-reported health.
Internet use improves adults’ well-being
Participants who used the internet daily or weekly reported better mental health outcomes compared to those who used it less often or not at all.
The positive link between internet use and mental health was seen regardless of genetic risk categories in the U.S., England, and China. However, a negative association was noted in participants who were 65 and older, unmarried, had less frequent contact with others, had lower wealth, were physically inactive, or had chronic conditions. The varied methods for data collection across different countries show the complexity of measuring internet use and its impact on mental health.
For example, the European cohort looked at internet use over the past seven days, while the Chinese cohort considered usage over the past month. Findings from this study highlight the growing importance of internet use among older populations for maintaining mental health, especially during the pandemic. These insights could help shape public health policies aimed at promoting mental health in later life through internet use.
