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Choi NG, Marti CN, Choi BY. Associations of Depression/Anxiety with Technology Use, Discontinued Use, and Nonuse in Older Adults. Clin Gerontol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38372144 PMCID: PMC11331021 DOI: 10.1080/07317115.2024.2318478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine correlates of the changes in technology use among older adults and the associations of depression/anxiety symptoms with technology use changes. METHODS We used the 2019-2021 U.S. National Health and Aging Trends Study (N = 3,063; age 70+). We fitted multinomial logistic regression models to examine: (1) correlates of never use and discontinued use versus use of email/texting and the internet during the 3-year study period; and (2) associations of past-month depression/anxiety symptoms in 2021 with use and discontinued use versus never use of email/texting and social network site (SNS). RESULTS The findings show age, socioeconomic, and health barriers to technology use. Email/texting and SNS use in 2021, compared to never use in all 3 years, was associated with a lower likelihood of moderate/severe depression/anxiety symptoms in 2021 (RRR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.37-0.81 for email/texting use; RRR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.33-0.97 for SNS use). Video calls with family/friends were not associated with depression/anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The findings expand the existing knowledge base regarding potential impact of technology use on mental health beyond the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS More concerted efforts are warranted to help older adults' technology uptake and continued use and to promote mental health benefits of technology use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namkee G. Choi
- Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
| | - C. Nathan Marti
- Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Bryan Y. Choi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and BayHealth
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Lei X, Matovic D, Leung WY, Viju A, Wuthrich VM. The relationship between social media use and psychosocial outcomes in older adults: A systematic review. Int Psychogeriatr 2024:1-33. [PMID: 38287785 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610223004519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Social isolation and loneliness are prevalent in older adults and are detrimental to physical and mental health. Social media use has been shown to be effective in maintaining social connections and improving older adults' psychosocial outcomes. This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize current research on this topic. DESIGN Searches were conducted in November 2021 (and updated in October 2023) in PsycINFO, PubMed, and CINAHL. Inclusion criteria: (1) participants ≥ 65 years (mean, median, or minimum age) and (2) reported impact of social media use on psychosocial outcomes (including loneliness, depression, anxiety, social connectedness, wellbeing, life satisfaction, and quality of life). Quality appraisal tools were utilized, and results were synthesized using narrative synthesis. RESULTS Sixty-four papers met inclusion criteria, including cross-sectional (n = 38), observational longitudinal (n = 6), interventional (n = 9), mixed-methods (n = 4), and qualitative (n = 7) studies. Participant numbers ranged from 6 to 16,925. While associations between social media use and positive psychosocial outcomes were generally reported in cross-sectional studies, the impact of social media use over time from longitudinal studies was mixed and inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS While social media use is associated with positive psychosocial outcomes, casual conclusions cannot be drawn. Few longitudinal and randomized controlled trial studies existed, and these reported mixed findings. Large variations in study methodology including participants, measurement of social media use, and outcome measures contributed to the inconsistencies of findings. Addressing this heterogeneity through standardized approaches and more rigorous research may enhance understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Lei
- Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Diana Matovic
- Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wing-Yin Leung
- Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Abhirami Viju
- Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Viviana M Wuthrich
- Macquarie University Lifespan Health & Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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Blanco G, Lourenço A. A multilayered graph-based framework to explore behavioural phenomena in social media conversations. Int J Med Inform 2023; 179:105236. [PMID: 37776669 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social media is part of current health communications. This research aims to delve into the effects of social contagion, biased assimilation, and homophily in building and changing health opinions on social media. MATERIALS AND METHODS Conversations about COVID-19 vaccination on English and Spanish Twitter are the case studies. A new multilayered graph-based framework supports the integrated analysis of content similarity within and across posts, users, and conversations to interpret contrasting and confluent user stances. Deep learning models are applied to infer stance. Graph centrality and homophily scores support the interpretation of information reproduction. RESULTS The results show that semantically related English posts tend to present a similar stance about COVID-19 vaccination (rstance = 0.51) whereas Spanish posts are more heterophilic (rstance = 0.38). Neither case showed evidence of homophily regarding user influence or vaccine hashtags. Graph filters for Pfizer and Astrazeneca with a similarity threshold of 0.85 show stance homophily in English scenarios (i.e. rstance = 0.45 and rstance = 0.58, respectively) and small homophily in Spanish scenarios (i.e. r = 0.12 and r = 0.3, respectively). Highly connected users are a minority and are not socially influential. Spanish conversations showed stance homophily, i.e. most of the connected conversations promote vaccination (rstance = 0.42), whereas English conversations are more likely to offer contrasting stances. CONCLUSION The methodology proposed for quantifying the impact of natural and intentional social behaviours in health information reproduction can be applied to any of the main social platforms and any given topic of conversation. Its effectiveness was demonstrated by two case studies describing English and Spanish demographic and sociocultural scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Blanco
- Universidade de Vigo, Department of Computer Science, ESEI-Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Edificio Politécnico, Campus Universitario As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; CINBIO, The Biomedical Research Centre, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Univesitario Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain; SING, Next Generation Computer Systems Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
| | - Anália Lourenço
- Universidade de Vigo, Department of Computer Science, ESEI-Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Edificio Politécnico, Campus Universitario As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; CINBIO, The Biomedical Research Centre, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Univesitario Lagoas-Marcosende, 36310 Vigo, Spain; SING, Next Generation Computer Systems Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain; CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Laboratório Associado, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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Zhang C, Liang X. Association between WeChat use and mental health among middle-aged and older adults: a secondary data analysis of the 2020 China Family Panel Studies database. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e073553. [PMID: 37844989 PMCID: PMC10582882 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study focused on the association between WeChat use, the most popular social software in China, and the mental health of middle-aged and older adults. DESIGN Nationwide cross-sectional study. SETTING The China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database. PARTICIPANTS The study sample included 11 127 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 and above identified from the 2020 CFPS database. RESULTS WeChat usage was negatively associated with depression (OR: 0.782, p<0.01), as was the WeChat Moments sharing (OR: 0.846, p<0.01). 10.310% of the relationship between WeChat usage and depression came from the effects of interpersonal relationships (5.720%) and social trust (4.590%), with significant indirect effects (B=-0.028, p<0.01). Sixteen per cent of the relationship between WeChat Moments sharing and depression came from the effect of interpersonal relationships (6.800%) and social trust (9.200%), and the indirect effect was also significant (B=-0.032, p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS WeChat use may empower middle-aged and elderly to maintain close social relationships and trust contributing to their mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhang
- Institute of Network Social Governance, School of Marxism, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaolin Liang
- School of Law and Sociology, Xihua University, Chengdu, China
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Cotten SR, Ghaiumy Anaraky R, Schuster AM. Social Media Use May Not Be As Bad As Some Suggest: Implication for Older Adults. Innov Aging 2023; 7:igad022. [PMID: 37179658 PMCID: PMC10168587 DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives Social media use (SMU) has increased over the past decade among older adults. Cross-sectional studies report SMU is related to negative mental health outcomes (i.e., depression). Given depression is the most common mental health issue for older adults and increases the risk of morbidity and mortality, determining longitudinally whether SMU is related to increased depression is critical. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between SMU and depression. Research Design and Methods Data from 6 waves (2015-20) of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) were analyzed. Participants included a nationally representative sample of U.S. older adults, aged 65 years and older (N = 7,057). We used a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Modeling (RI-CLPM) framework to examine the relationship between primary outcomes of SMU and depression symptoms. Results No pattern was found of SMU predicting depression symptoms, or depression symptoms predicting SMU. The major driver of SMU in each wave was SMU in the previous wave. On average, our model accounted for 3.03% of the variance in SMU. The major predictor of depression in each wave was the pre-existing depression. Our model accounted for an average of 22.81% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Discussion and Implications The results suggest that SMU and depressive symptoms are driven by the previous patterns of SMU and depression, respectively. We did not find any patterns of SMU and depression influencing each other. NHATS measures SMU with a binary instrument. Future longitudinal research should employ measures that account for SMU duration, type, and purpose. These findings suggest that SMU may not be related to negative health outcomes, in this case, depression, for older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelia R Cotten
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
- Department of Communication, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Reza Ghaiumy Anaraky
- Department of Technology Management and Innovation, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Amy M Schuster
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
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Hui BPH, Au AKY, Ng JCK, Song X. From Social Networking Site Use to Subjective Well-Being: The Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Mediating Pathways of Prosocial Behavior among Vocational College Students in China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:100. [PMID: 36612422 PMCID: PMC9819724 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In view of the growing importance of social networking sites (SNS) to adolescents and the mixed and inconclusive empirical evidence on the relationships between SNS use and their well-being, the present study aimed to investigate the associations of social function use intensity (SFUI) and entertainment function use intensity (EFUI) with adolescent life satisfaction and self-esteem, and examine the mediating roles that general prosocial behavior and school volunteering may play in the links. Drawing from the findings of a self-administered online survey with a valid sample of 3452 adolescents (mean age = 18.21) from 10 vocational colleges across four regions of China, our results demonstrated that there was an indirect positive effect of SFUI on adolescent life satisfaction and self-esteem via two interpersonal pathways of general prosocial behavior and school volunteering. We also discovered that there was an indirect negative effect of EFUI on adolescent life satisfaction and self-esteem via an intrapersonal pathway of school volunteering. Our findings provided empirical support for the differential effects of SFUI and EFUI on adolescent life satisfaction and self-esteem through the interpersonal and intrapersonal pathways, and unpacked the mediating roles of general prosocial behavior and school volunteering in these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryant Pui Hung Hui
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Algae Kit Yee Au
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jacky Chi Kit Ng
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xinmiao Song
- Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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