ArticleBMC geriatrics2022
A study on the impact of Internet use on depression among Chinese older people under the perspective of social participation.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Longitudinal associations between internet access and cognitive decline in older adults.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- From digital access to social connectedness: the digital divide, bonding social capital, and depressive symptoms among older adults in China.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Longitudinal trajectories of internet use, attitudes toward aging, and depression: a latent growth mediation model.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Urban-rural disparities in education's mediating role between digital engagement and depression among Chinese older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Internet and Smart Devices Usage and Mental Health in Chinese Older Adults with Chronic Diseases: The Mediating Role of Social Isolation.Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Article
- Explore the extended impacts on psychological well-being in older adults through application of virtual reality technology: An integrative review.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- Relationships Among Mobile Internet Use, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms: Prospective Cohort Study Among Community Residents.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Digital Pathways to Reducing Depression Among Aging Populations Through the "Broadband China" Pilot Program: Quasi-Natural Experiment.JMIR aging · 2025Article
- Internet Usage, Social Participation, and Depression Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adult Chinese Individuals Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Observational Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Observational
- Depressive symptoms and internet use among middle-aged and older adults pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak: a network analysis.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- The promotion mechanism of physical and mental health of the elderly in China: the impact of the digital divide and social capital.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Eleven-Year Trajectories of Internet Usage Time and Depression Scores Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: Latent Class Mixed Model Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Internet use and life satisfaction among empty nesters in rural areas of Yangzhou: based on propensity score matching and mediating effect model.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Longer recreational screen time contributes to the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a UK Biobank cohort study and two-sample Mendelian randomisation.Journal of global health · 2025Article
- The association of internet use and cognition among older adults: mediating roles of social networks and depressive symptoms.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Quantifying the association between rural older adult daily internet use duration and affective disorders: an empirical study based on propensity score matching.Frontiers in public health · 2025Observational
- Article
- Impact of living arrangements and internet use on the mental health of Chinese older adults.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Association between Internet use and depression among older adults in China: the chain-mediating role of volunteer activity participation and friend network.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Internet use and self-rated health among Chinese older adults: the role of social engagement and social support.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThis study aimed to evaluate the role of social participation in the relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms among Chinese older adults and investigate how the internet use interact with social participation to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.
methodsBased on the survey from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2018, we identified 4645 subjects and used the Ordinary Least Square method (OLS) and Propensity Score Matching method (PSM) to identify the association between Internet use and depression of older people, and further test how social participation played a role in the relationship.
resultsThe level of depression of older people was significantly reduced in those who using internet in China, and the effect was still robust under different identification methods. The mental health was improved when using internet because of the increase of social participation and social capital. Further, The positive effect was stronger especially in those who were female, living in rural areas, has low education attainments and were 70-79 years old.
conclusionsThe popularity of internet use has a positive effect on the depressive symptoms of Chinese older adults. Effective measures were encouraged to improve the friendliness of internet for older people and promote the popularization of the Internet and older group, achieving the spiritual well-being of them in the Internet society.
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