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Friday, 13 December, 2024
HomeGerontologySpending time online can prevent depression in the elderly

Spending time online can prevent depression in the elderly

Older Americans who regularly spent time online were about a third less likely to suffer from depression, in a study that compared them to peers who did not use the Internet, reports [s]Reuters Health[/s]. ‘The largest impacts on depression were actually for those people who lived alone, so it's really suggesting that it's about connecting with others, eliminating isolation and loneliness,’ lead study author Dr Shelia Cotten said. She added that it may not come as easily to older people as it does to kids, but her research shows that individuals in their 80s, 90s and even in their 100s can still learn to use computers and the Internet.

[link url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/22/us-retirees-internet-idUSBREA3L1RG20140422]Full Reuters Health report[/link]
[link url=http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/03/25/geronb.gbu018.abstract?sid=066ac4a9-a398-40eb-9d20-a7206142b97f]Journals of Gerontology abstract[/link]

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