14 DAY TRIAL // According to the conclusions of a new study, it would appear that people over the age of 50 are less likely to be depressed if they constantly use the Internet, by comparison to peers who have no online presence, or who online use the Web to check emails or to conduct other business-related tasks.
The investigation, conducted by scientists at the University of Alabama, indicates that going online may help mitigate some widespread problems among people in this age group, including the development of mental health issues and loneliness.
The conclusions of this research apply to seniors who use the Web for social purposes, not just business. Experts determined that these individuals were around 33 percent less likely to become depressed than their peers, PsychCentral reports.
University of Illinois scientists say that depression tends to affect people more during adolescence and early adulthood, then dip to its lowest incidence rate, around the age of 45, followed by a significant recovery around the age of 80.
In the new study, experts surveyed the cases of nearly 8,000 individuals, aged 50 and upwards. According to the team, around 5 percent of people aged 70 are depressed. The rate increases to 13 percent for 85-year-olds.
Some of the most important factors influencing this steep increase include loneliness, social isolation and lack of emotional support from close friends and relatives, investigators go on to explain. “Our findings suggest that Internet use has a positive effect on depression,” Dr. Shelia Cotten says.
She holds an appointment as a sociologist at the University of Alabama and was the leader of the new research effort. The expert says that new statistics from the Pew Research Center indicate that around 33 percent of US adults above the age of 65 use social networking websites, including Facebook.
This is a significant improvement from 3 years ago, when only 6 percent of people in this age group had online accounts on social media website. The research team believes that one reason for this increase could be the limited mobility many seniors have.
“The Internet provides an important tool for the rapidly increasing older population to lead independent lives, to keep in touch with friends and family and to make informed decisions on many issues from health to travel,” comments Nichola Adams.
The University of Surrey scientist, also an expert on senior Internet use patterns, was not a part of the new investigation.