Bidirectional Association Between Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Cross-Lagged Model of Proactive Health Behavior as the Mediating Role

IF 3.3 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Depression and Anxiety Pub Date : 2025-09-22 DOI:10.1155/da/9391682

Zhibin Li, Huijun Liu

{"title":"Bidirectional Association Between Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China: A Cross-Lagged Model of Proactive Health Behavior as the Mediating Role","authors":"Zhibin Li, Huijun Liu","doi":"10.1155/da/9391682","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. Moreover, it explored whether proactive health behavior mediates the association between internet use and depressive symptoms.Methods: We used the latest three-wave data (2015, 2018, and 2020) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 11,332 participants aged 45 years and older. The bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms was examined using a cross-lagged model. The mediating role of proactive health behavior was also investigated using a cross-lagged mediation model.Results: Cross-lagged models indicated reciprocal effects between depressive symptoms and internet use. Internet use had a greater impact on subsequent depressive symptoms than vice versa. Mediation analyses further revealed that proactive health behavior significantly mediated the path from internet use to depressive symptoms. Furthermore, subgroup analyses showed these effects were not significantly heterogeneous in subgroups by age and chronic disease status.Conclusions: This study sheds light on the direction of the association between internet use and depressive symptoms. Internet use could reduce depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults by enhancing proactive health behavior.","PeriodicalId":55179,"journal":{"name":"Depression and Anxiety","volume":"2025 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1155/da/9391682","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Depression and Anxiety","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/da/9391682","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. Moreover, it explored whether proactive health behavior mediates the association between internet use and depressive symptoms.

Methods: We used the latest three-wave data (2015, 2018, and 2020) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included 11,332 participants aged 45 years and older. The bidirectional relationship between internet use and depressive symptoms was examined using a cross-lagged model. The mediating role of proactive health behavior was also investigated using a cross-lagged mediation model.

Results: Cross-lagged models indicated reciprocal effects between depressive symptoms and internet use. Internet use had a greater impact on subsequent depressive symptoms than vice versa. Mediation analyses further revealed that proactive health behavior significantly mediated the path from internet use to depressive symptoms. Furthermore, subgroup analyses showed these effects were not significantly heterogeneous in subgroups by age and chronic disease status.

Conclusions: This study sheds light on the direction of the association between internet use and depressive symptoms. Internet use could reduce depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults by enhancing proactive health behavior.

Abstract Image

查看原文本刊更多论文

中国中老年人网络使用与抑郁症状的双向关联：主动健康行为的交叉滞后模型

目的：本研究旨在探讨中老年人网络使用与抑郁症状的双向关系。此外，研究还探讨了主动健康行为是否在网络使用与抑郁症状之间起中介作用。方法：我们使用来自中国健康与退休纵向研究（CHARLS）的最新三波数据（2015年、2018年和2020年），其中包括11,332名年龄在45岁及以上的参与者。使用交叉滞后模型检验了互联网使用与抑郁症状之间的双向关系。采用交叉滞后中介模型对积极健康行为的中介作用进行了研究。结果：交叉滞后模型显示抑郁症状与网络使用之间的相互作用。网络使用对随后的抑郁症状的影响大于反之。中介分析进一步揭示，积极健康行为在网络使用到抑郁症状之间具有显著中介作用。此外，亚组分析显示，这些影响在年龄和慢性疾病状态的亚组中没有显着异质性。结论：本研究揭示了网络使用与抑郁症状之间关系的方向。使用互联网可以通过增强积极的健康行为来减少中老年人的抑郁症状。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Depression and Anxiety 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

15.00

自引率

1.40%

发文量

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Depression and Anxiety is a scientific journal that focuses on the study of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as related phenomena in humans. The journal is dedicated to publishing high-quality research and review articles that contribute to the understanding and treatment of these conditions. The journal places a particular emphasis on articles that contribute to the clinical evaluation and care of individuals affected by mood and anxiety disorders. It prioritizes the publication of treatment-related research and review papers, as well as those that present novel findings that can directly impact clinical practice. The journal's goal is to advance the field by disseminating knowledge that can lead to better diagnosis, treatment, and management of these disorders, ultimately improving the quality of life for those who suffer from them.