Public Release:  Internet use can help ward off depression among elderly

New research finds that Internet use among the elderly can reduce the chances of depression by more than 30 percent

Michigan State University


However, new research - a project that followed the lives of thousands of retired older Americans for six years - found that Internet use among the elderly can reduce the chances of depression by more than 30 percent.

"That's a very strong effect," said Shelia Cotten, a Michigan State University professor of telecommunication, information studies and media who led the project. "And it all has to do with older persons being able to communicate, to stay in contact with their social networks, and just not feel lonely."


"This is one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys of its kind," Cotten said.

Other smaller studies have been inconclusive about the roles Internet use and technology, in general, play in helping people overcome depression.

One way in which this study was different is it took into consideration the subjects' depression levels before they began using the Internet. The researchers wanted to know if past depression affected current depression.

What they found is yes, some people did remain depressed despite Internet use, although it wasn't substantial. "Internet use continues to reduce depression, even when controlling for that prior depressive state," Cotten said.


"This study makes significant contributions to the study of Internet use and depression in the older, retired population," Cotten said.


"If you sit in front of a computer all day, ignoring the roles you have in life and the things you need to accomplish as part of your daily life, then it's going to have a negative impact on you," Cotten said. "But if you're using it in moderation and you're doing things that enhance your life, then the impacts are likely to be positive in terms of health and well-being."



