An Exploratory Investigation of Communication Technologies to Alleviate Communicative Difficulties and Depression in Older Adults

Abstract

This study provides preliminary evidence that older adults might use communication technologies such as e-mail in their close relationships to compensate for communicative difficulties. The text-based format of e-mail might also help older adults mitigate hearing impairments and associated depressive symptoms.

Does digital technology reduce health disparity? Investigating difference of depression stemming from socioeconomic status among Chinese older adults

“…In the context of "formed" individual SES, human agency and resource mobilization may reshape the outcomes [27]. The growing Evidences suggest that using digital technology can help maintain social contact, enhance social support, reduce social isolation, loneliness, and depressive symptoms among older adults [23,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. Cotten et al [32], using a large longitudinal sample from Health and Retirement Survey, find that Internet use reduced the probability of a depression state by 33%.…”

“…Currently, vulnerable subgroups among the elderly have come into the sight of researchers and policymakers. Given that disadvantaged older adults may face more mobility and activity limitations, worse health status or frailty, the relative importance of digital technology for maintaining social connectedness, obtaining social support and resources may be greater [33,34,36,38]. Ruppel et al [34], using data from Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, find that e-mail usage might help older adults mitigate hearing impairments and associated depressive symptoms.…”

“…Given that disadvantaged older adults may face more mobility and activity limitations, worse health status or frailty, the relative importance of digital technology for maintaining social connectedness, obtaining social support and resources may be greater [33,34,36,38]. Ruppel et al [34], using data from Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, find that e-mail usage might help older adults mitigate hearing impairments and associated depressive symptoms. Fang et al [33], conducting telephone interviews in Hong Kong older adults, find that Internet use enhances psychological well-being among oldest-older adults, and these benefits might be particularly salient for those who were frail.…”

Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Older Adults: The Mediation and Suppression Effects of Social Capital

“…More importantly, the indirect effect of cognitive social capital might differ from that of structural social capital in the relationship. From the perspective of structural social capital, the Internet not only increases opportunities to interact with relatives (Hogeboom et al, 2010 ; Ruppel et al, 2016 ), but also promotes social participation such as attendance at clubs, volunteer work, and religious services (Kim et al, 2017 ), ultimately enhances older adults' mental health. Therefore, structural social capital might play a mediating role between Internet use and depressive symptoms.…”

The Use of Binomial Models to Increase Digital Competence of Seniors in the City of Czestochowa

“…This, on the other hand, means that many people, in particular the elderly, do not use them, becoming more and more socially excluded people (Charmarkeh, 2017). Obviously, this problem is the result of a number of other factors, resulting mainly from personal circumstances and barriers that the individual (an elderly person) encounters or has imposed on himself/herself, or restrictions that have been subconsciously imposed by the entire society (Ruppel et al, 2016). Additionally, social and cultural isolation, including a sense of loneliness, leads to the fact that seniors are largely distanced from them (Fernandez et al, 2017).…”