Research on the mechanism of the relationship between the digital divide and depression symptoms in middle-aged and older adults: An empirical analysis based on the cross-sectional data of the CHARLS 2020
Quansheng Wang, Bingran Chen, Shu Bai, Lansong HuangObjective
This study aims to provide empirical evidence and policy recommendations to bridge the digital divide, improve the mental health of middle-aged and older adults, and promote active aging.
Methods
Using data from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) 2020, we selected individuals aged 45 years as the research sample, ultimately obtaining 18,926 valid observations. Depression symptoms (CES-D depression scale scores) in middle-aged and older adults were treated as the outcome variable, digital use as the independent variable, and social connectivity as the mediating variable. The control variables included age, sex, education level, and urban-rural distribution. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and OLS regression analysis were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 26.0 software. The mediating effect was tested using the bootstrap method, and robustness checks were performed by replacing core explanatory variables and removing outliers.
Results
Digital use has a significant alleviating effect on depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults (β = -0.528, 95% CI: [-0.591, -0.465], P < 0.001), indicating that internet use can significantly reduce depressive symptom scores. Social connectivity partially mediates the association between digital use and depression symptoms in middle-aged and older adults, with a mediating effect value of 0.186, accounting for 35.23% of the total effect. Older age, female sex, rural residency, low education level, and unmarried status are associated with higher depression scores.
Conclusion
The digital divide is an important factor affecting depressive symptoms in middle-aged and older adults. Digital use may be associated with alleviation of depression symptoms, in part by improving social connectivity and promoting social participation. Attention should be focused on the challenges of digital use faced by middle-aged and older adults, on advancing digital adaptation, on bridging the digital divide and the psychological gap, and on helping them adapt to a digital society.