College of Statistics and Mathematics, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Soc Sci Med. 2024 May;348:116853. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116853. Epub 2024 Apr 8.
The increased number of middle-aged and older adults leads to depression in this stratum of the population as a topical social and public health issue. However, the new generation of information technologies has exerted a profound impact on the lives of middle-aged and older adults, and offers potential solutions for alleviating their depression. This study utilizes data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) collected between 2011 and 2018 and combines them with city-level traits. The results demonstrate that digital technology can reduce depression levels effectively in this group. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital technology could improve life satisfaction and subjective health status levels, which, in turn, reduces depression levels. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the positive effects of digital technology on depression were more pronounced among middle-aged and older adults with urban household registration compared to the rural population. Finally, recommendations are provided for reducing depression levels among middle-aged and older adults.
人口老龄化加剧导致这一人群出现抑郁问题，成为当前社会和公共卫生领域的热点议题。然而，新一代信息技术深刻影响着中老年人的生活，为缓解他们的抑郁问题提供了潜在解决方案。本研究利用了中国健康与养老追踪调查（CHARLS）2011-2018 年的数据，并结合了城市特征。结果表明，数字技术可以有效降低这一人群的抑郁水平。机制分析表明，数字技术可以提高生活满意度和主观健康状况，从而降低抑郁水平。异质性分析表明，与农村人口相比，数字技术对城市户籍中老年人的抑郁的积极影响更为显著。最后，为降低中老年人的抑郁水平提出了相关建议。
