How does the Internet affect the mental health of the elderly? … Scientific responses

And the study by the English University of Surrey indicates that those who used the internet more, especially to stay in touch with friends and family, were less likely to suffer from depression and reported a better quality of life..

Loneliness and social isolation are among the top issues for many in light of the lockdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the case of the elderly. Along with loneliness, the risk of depression and other negative health effects increases with loneliness, but the study confirms that frequent internet use among older people helped reduce this risk..

The researchers studied 3,491 individual participants; During social distancing measures in Great Britain, respondents were asked based on the frequency and type of internet use, such as: searching for information or for communication purposes.

Researchers found that those who reported using the internet more frequently (once a day or more) had significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms and reported a better quality of life than those who only used the internet once a week or more. less..

Using the Internet to communicate was particularly associated with these beneficial effects, suggesting that being online to stay in touch with friends and family helps to combat the negative psychological effects of social estrangement and social distancing. isolation in adults aged 55 to 75..

Conversely, the study found that people who primarily use the Internet to research health-related information reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. This may be due to a greater degree of anxiety stemming from reading news related to COVID-19 and other health-related internet sources..

Dr Simon Evans, professor of neuroscience at the University of Surrey and co-author of the study, said: ‘As social restrictions persist during the Covid-19 pandemic, older people are at greater risk of loneliness and mental health issues..

And he continues: “We have found that older people who frequently use the internet when locked out, especially to communicate with others, have lower degrees of depression and better quality of life, with the development of the Covid-situation. 19. ““.

And points out the neuroscience professor that their findings could be useful in the future for maintaining the mental health of the elderly and reducing the risk of loneliness and depression.