Resources - Mature Market Headlines

Seniors Who Surf Are Less Depressed

Australian Aging Agenda, 10/19/09

Abstract:

Spending time on the internet reduces depression in older people by 20 per cent according to a report from US think tank, the Phoenix Centre.

The policy paper even suggested that the nation’s healthcare bill could be cut if older people went online, lowering the incidence of depression.

The recommendations are based on a survey of 7,000 retired Americans aged 55 and older. People who were still working or living in nursing homes were excluded from the survey because it was felt that they would skew the findings.

“Maintaining relationships with friends and family at a time in life when mobility becomes increasingly limited is challenging for the elderly,” study co-author Dr Sherry G. Ford from the University of Montevallo in Alabama.

> Read the full story > Return to 50+ Headlines