title: Internet use and depression among retired older adults in the United States: a longitudinal analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to examine the association between Internet use among retired older adults in the United States and changes in a commonly used predictor of depression (the CES-D).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyzing data from four waves (2002-2008) of the Health and Retirement Survey, we assess whether an available and commonly used index of a depression state was affected by prior values of the index and Internet use. The sample includes 3,075 respondents observed over 4 waves of data, yielding a total of 12,300 observations. We analyzed the effect on depression of Internet use and past depression in a full sample and a matched sample. We also conducted informal tests for confounders. Finally, we tested a basic mediation model to determine whether Internet use affected depression through its relationship with loneliness and social isolation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across methods, we found a positive contribution of Internet use to mental well-being of retired older adults in the United States, where Internet use reduced the probability of a depression state by one third. We found no evidence of confounding. Some evidence of mediation was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our dynamic probit model indicates that for retired older adults in the United States, Internet use was found to reduce the probability of a depressed state by about 33%. Number of people in the household partially mediates this relationship, with the reduction in depression largest for people living alone. This provides some evidence that the mechanism linking Internet use to depression is the remediation of social isolation and loneliness. Encouraging older adults to use the Internet may help decrease isolation and depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University, East Lansing. cotten@msu.edu.
authors.forename: Shelia R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Cotten
authors.affiliation: Phoenix Center For Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, Washington, District of Columbia.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Montevallo, Alabama.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Center for Connected Health, Partners HealthCare, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Timothy M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Hale
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Depression; Internet; Older adults; Well-being.