網路使用與年長者之憂鬱及幸福感之相關性探討－以中部社區據點為例

Taiwan has become an aging society. Loneliness has been reported as a risk factor for geriatric depression. While internet technology has developed dramatically and has become popular among younger middle-aged adults, it is unclear whether its use would improve the interpersonal relationships and decrease loneliness among the elderly. Thus, in this study, we investigated the correlation between internet use and geriatric depression and wellbeing among the elderly in the community. A total of 89 participants with a mean age of 74.90 (SD=8.32) were recruited. All the participants were screened using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to exclude those who may be at risk of dementia. The participants were then invited to complete the following questionnaires: internet use questionnaire, geriatric depression scale and wellbeing questionnaire. We found the main reason elderly people used the internet was to communicate with others. We also found a positive correlation between internet use and educational level and a negative correlation between internet use and geriatric depression. We concluded that internet use may be help the elderly develop interpersonal networks and that developing interpersonal connection may play an important role in decreasing geriatric depression and increasing wellbeing.