Internet use is significantly associated with lower levels of depression among 4,159 in China.
Empty-nest family structures may influence the mental health of elderly individuals.
Mental health was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale ().
Social participation and intergenerational support are suggested to partially mediate the relationship between internet use and mental health.
The findings indicate that enhancing internet access and digital literacy could be important for improving mental health in this population.
Simplified
The number of in China is steadily increasing, and this empty-nest family structure may influence their mental health. With the rapid advancement of information technology, the internet has profoundly reshaped lifestyles and is playing an increasingly important role among the elderly. This study aims to examine the association between internet use and mental health among empty-nest elderly. Data were drawn from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), including 4159 empty-nest elderly. Mental health was assessed with the short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (). Ordinary least squares regression, propensity score matching, instrumental variable analysis, and mediation analysis were conducted to examine the associations, test robustness, and explore potential mechanisms. Internet use was significantly associated with lower levels of depression, and mediation analysis indicated that social participation and intergenerational support partially mediated this relationship. These findings highlight the crucial role of internet use in enhancing the mental health of empty-nest elderly and underscore the importance of promoting internet access and digital literacy to foster active aging.
Key numbers
1.14
Decrease in Depression Score
Difference in scores between internet users and non-users.
8.5%
Mediating Effect of Social Participation
Proportion of total effect mediated by social participation.
Full Text
We can’t show the full text here under this license.
Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
