Healthc Inform Res.  2012 Sep;18(3):191-198. 10.4258/hir.2012.18.3.191.

Computer and Internet Interventions for Loneliness and Depression in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis

Affiliations
  • 1Nursing Policy and Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Nursing, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Department of Nursing Science, Ewha Womans University College of Health Sciences, Seoul, Korea. dyjung@ewha.ac.kr

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
This study conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of computer and Internet training interventions intended to reduce loneliness and depression in older adults.
METHODS
Searches were performed to retrieve studies that had been published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2001 to July 2012 and written in English or Korean from PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, KoreaMed, KMbase, KISS, MEDLIS, and RISS. We used combinations of the keywords for population, intervention, and psychosocial problems. A meta-analysis was employed to summarize the findings of studies on computer and Internet interventions for older adults. An overall mean weighted effect size for each outcome was calculated, and Q statistics were used to test the heterogeneity of variance in the effect sizes of the selected studies.
RESULTS
As the Q statistics revealed heterogeneity, random effects models were chosen for the meta-analysis. The overall mean weighted effect size for loneliness from five studies was statistically significant for decreased loneliness (Z = 2.085, p = 0.037). However, the overall mean weighted effect size for depression from five studies was not statistically significant (Z = 1.528, p = 0.126).
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that computer and Internet programs were effective in managing loneliness among older adults. Therefore, further computer-mediated social support should be considered to help manage loneliness in this population.

Keyword

Computer; Internet; Loneliness; Depression; Meta-Analysis

MeSH Terms

Adult
Depression
Humans
Internet
Loneliness
Population Characteristics

Figure

  • Figure 1 Study selection process.

  • Figure 2 Forest plot for effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals for studies included (random effects model).


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