ICT Use and Mental Health Among Asian American Older Adults: Does Independent Learning Matter?

This study explores the relationships between ICT uses for various purposes and mental health and the moderating effect of technology learning among Chinese and Korean older Americans. The survey data were collected from 513 Chinese and Korean older Americans in New York City. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the relationships between ICT uses for social, instrumental, and health purposes, and depressive symptoms. Interaction terms between ICT use variables and technology learning styles were created for the moderation test. We found that ICT uses for social contact and health purposes were significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms among the Chinese and Korean older Americans, and the benefits were more pronounced for those who learned ICT independently. This study highlighted the importance of supporting ICT uses for social contact and health purposes and technology learning process to improve mental health of older Asian Americans.