The relationship of internet use with depression and loneliness levels in elderly individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic

Social distancing and isolation measures implemented during the pandemic have negatively affected the mental health of elderly individuals. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of internet use with depression and loneliness levels in elderly individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional study was conducted with 330 geriatric patients between 01.09.2021 and 01.06.2022. The data were collected with face-to-face interview technique by using ''Personal Information Form'', ''Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form-15 (GDS-15)'', ''Loneliness Scale for the Elderly''. The mean age of the participants was 71.38±6.06 and 60.3% were female. It was found that 15.8% of the elderly individuals lived alone, 10.9% had no friends they could meet face-to-face, and 85.2% of them had decreased social relations during the pandemic process. The proportion of those using cell phones and computers/tablets with internet access was 47.3% and 6.1%, respectively. It was found that 52.4% of the individuals never used the internet, 18.8% used it occasionally and 28.8% used it every day. Among internet users, 68.8% stated that their internet use increased during the pandemic. The most common internet activities were video calls with relatives/friends (39.4%) and sharing messages/photos/videos with messaging applications (38.2%). Depression (GDS score>5) was found in 37% of elderly individuals. The rate of depression was 42.8% in those who never used the internet, 38.7% in those who used the internet occasionally, and 25.3% in those who used the internet every day (p=0.017). The loneliness score of daily internet users was significantly lower than occasional internet users and never internet users (p=0.008, p<0.001, respectively). As a result, it was found that depression was less common in elderly individuals who used the internet every day and their loneliness scores were lower than those who did not. Appropriate use of technological devices with internet access by elderly individuals may contribute positively to their psychological health. Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Elderly, Depression, Loneliness