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This study aims to explore how internet use affects depressive symptoms in older couples, considering both partners' roles.

January 22, 2026Digital HealthOpen Access

Beyond the individual: A dyadic longitudinal study of internet use, social participation, and depressive symptoms in older couples

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Longitudinal study shows internet use reduces depressive symptoms in older couples, indicating a strong relational impact.

This study aims to explore how internet use affects depressive symptoms in older couples, considering both partners' roles.
Utilized a longitudinal design with data from 4878 heterosexual married couples
Analyzed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study across three waves (2013, 2015, 2018)
Employed structural equation modeling to test an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model
Husbands' internet use linked to reduced depressive symptoms for both husbands and wives, mediated by increased social participation
A husband's internet use significantly lowered his wife's depressive symptoms (β = −0.959, p = .039)
Wife's internet use showed no significant effect on her husband's depressive symptoms

Tang et al. (2026) studied this question.

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