The associations between patterns of Internet use and depressive symptoms among older adults in China: A latent class...

Depression is increasingly becoming a global concern among older adults. Many existing studies have found an association between Internet use and mental health in later life. However, most of this research has relied on a variable-centered approach, which may overlook the heterogeneity in Internet use behaviors. We adopted a person-centered approach to explore distinct patterns of Internet use and their associations with depressive symptoms among older adults.

Using data from the 2022 China Family Panel Studies, 3975 older adults (aged ≥ 60 years) reported their Internet use and depressive symptoms after excluding samples with missing core values. Latent class analysis (LCA) was employed to analyze the potential classification of Internet use.

LCA identified three distinct Internet use profiles: low digital engagement (Class 1, 51.4%), active social engagement (Class 2, 36.1%), and high comprehensive digital engagement (Class 3, 12.5%). Compared to Class 1, both Classes 2 and 3 showed negative associations with depressive symptoms. Heterogeneity analyses revealed that adults under 70 years, males, and rural residents demonstrated stronger associations between Internet use and reduced depressive symptoms.

Internet use has a significant negative impact on depressive symptoms. The results provide an empirical reference for the prevention and intervention of mental disorders in older adults.