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Beijing, Nov 12 (EFE).– A new Chinese study suggests that social media use can help prevent and reduce depression symptoms among middle-aged and older adults.
The research, published in the international journal, Translational Psychiatry, used data from an ongoing study on Chinese residents aged 45 and older.
The team analyzed the impact of social media on the mental health of 9,121 people who reported not having depression symptoms in 2018.
They also evaluated the effects on another group of 5,302 people who reported experiencing depressive symptoms that same year.
Data were collected in both 2018 and 2020, allowing researchers to observe the relationship between social media activities and changes in participants’ emotional states during the study period.
The analysis showed that those without depressive symptoms in 2018 who used social media had a 24 percent lower likelihood of developing depressive symptoms in the following two years compared to those who did not use these platforms.
For people who exhibited depressive symptoms in 2018, the results suggest that frequent social media use could promote an improvement in their mental health.
According to the data, people who used three or more of the seven evaluated social media activities, chatting, reading news, watching videos, playing online games, making mobile payments, using the WeChat application, and sharing posts on their profiles, were more likely to experience a reduction in depressive symptoms compared to those who did not engage in these activities.
The research highlighted that active social media s in 2018 and 2020 were 1.36 times more likely to show significant improvement in their emotional state.
Qi Yanling, the lead researcher, said the findings were highly relevant in the context of a rapidly aging Chinese society.
It is estimated that by 2035, there will be more than 400 million people over 60 in China, representing more than 30 percent of the population.
To address this challenge, Professor Qi suggests implementing strategies such as distributing subsidized mobile phones and data packages to older adults, along with disseminating educational content about mental health through social media.
These measures could be beneficial for vulnerable groups, such as low-income families, rural residents, and elderly women, who may experience a higher incidence of mental health problems, Qi said. EFE
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