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Digital Communications Technology Use and Feelings of Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Digital Communications Technology Use and Feelings of Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness Among... Some have touted technology as a panacea for overcoming the isolation associated with COVID-19 mitigation policies; yet, these tools are not widely adopted by older adults. With data from the COVID-19 supplement to the National Health and Aging Trends Survey, we conduct adjusted Poisson regression modeling to examine digital communications use during COVID-19 and feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults (65+ years of age). Adjusted Poisson regression revealed that those who reported frequent use of video calls with friends and family (aPR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.06–1.41) and with healthcare providers (aPR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.03–1.45) were more likely to report feelings of anxiety than those not using these platforms; yet, reports of in-person visits with friends and family (aPR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66–0.93) and with healthcare providers (aPR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.77–1.01) were associated with fewer feelings of depression and loneliness, respectively. Future research is needed to tailor digital technology to support older adults. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Applied Gerontology SAGE

Digital Communications Technology Use and Feelings of Anxiety, Depression, and Loneliness Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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References (50)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023
ISSN
0733-4648
eISSN
1552-4523
DOI
10.1177/07334648231169086
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Some have touted technology as a panacea for overcoming the isolation associated with COVID-19 mitigation policies; yet, these tools are not widely adopted by older adults. With data from the COVID-19 supplement to the National Health and Aging Trends Survey, we conduct adjusted Poisson regression modeling to examine digital communications use during COVID-19 and feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults (65+ years of age). Adjusted Poisson regression revealed that those who reported frequent use of video calls with friends and family (aPR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.06–1.41) and with healthcare providers (aPR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.03–1.45) were more likely to report feelings of anxiety than those not using these platforms; yet, reports of in-person visits with friends and family (aPR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.66–0.93) and with healthcare providers (aPR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.77–1.01) were associated with fewer feelings of depression and loneliness, respectively. Future research is needed to tailor digital technology to support older adults.

Journal

Journal of Applied GerontologySAGE

Published: Sep 1, 2023

Keywords: older adults; mental health; digital communication; digital technologies; COVID-19

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