Aging and the internet: A potential mental health concern with no boundaries

Introduction: Relationships between mental health and media are frequently explored and debated. This has again become of particular interest as baby-boomers, an internet savvy group, enter retirement age. While the internet is used for many benign purposes, it has also been associated with significant mental health concerns. This study explored potential relationships between internet use and mental health issues (i.e. depression) in baby-boomers.

Methods: Responses were anonymously obtained via a self-administered Internet questionnaire from a random sample of adults (males, n=426; females, n=515) in the Seattle-Tacoma DMA.

Results: Within the elder sample (age 55+, n= 274; male n=128; female n= 146) strong positive correlations were found between using the internet to feel less lonely, using the internet to escape the real world, and being at risk for a major depressive diagnosis. Hopefulness about the future was negatively correlated with risk for depression and risk of internet addiction; fearfulness was positively correlated with both. Hours spent surfing the internet positively correlated with accessing sexual explicit materials. Using the internet to access and length of time spent accessing sexual explicit materials, were positively correlated with risk for internet addiction. Risk of depression was positively correlated with risk of internet addiction.

Conclusions: This study supports the theory that internet use may mirror substance addiction in providing escape for depression. These relationships need further investigation as the more internet savvy baby-boomers enter retirement and practitioners serve growing numbers of clients whose use of the internet is intertwined with issues of depression and social isolation.