@article {9932, title = {Using Skype to Beat the Blues: Longitudinal Data from a National Representative Sample.}, journal = {American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry}, volume = {27}, year = {2019}, pages = {254-262}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine whether use of certain types of online communication technology is associated with subsequent depressive symptoms.

DESIGN: Nationally representative, population-based prospective cohort.

SETTING: Data were obtained from the 2012 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS).

PARTICIPANTS: 1,424 community-residing older adults (mean age, 64.8) in the United States.

MEASUREMENTS: We examined associations between use of four communication technologies (email, social networks, video chat, and instant messaging) in 2012 and depressive symptoms (eight-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale) at two-year follow-up.

RESULTS: 564 participants (39.6\%) did not use any communication technologies, 314 (22.1\%) used email only, and 255 (17.9\%) used video chat (e.g., Skype). Compared to non-users (13.1\%, 95\% CI: 9.5-16.7\%) or those who used only email (14.3\%, 95\% CI: 10.1-18.5\%), users of video chat had approximately half the probability of depressive symptoms (6.9\%, 95\% CI: 3.5-10.3\%, Wald Chi test, Chi=13.82, p < 0.001; 7.6\%, 95\% CI: 3.6-11.6, Wald Chi test, Chi=13.56, p < 0.001). Use of email, social media, and instant messaging were not associated with a lower risk of depression.

CONCLUSIONS: Older adults who use video chat such as Skype, but not other common communication technologies, have a lower risk of developing depression.

}, keywords = {Depressive symptoms, Social Support, Technology}, issn = {1545-7214}, doi = {10.1016/j.jagp.2018.10.014}, author = {Alan R Teo and Markwardt, Sheila and Hinton, Ladson} }