Research Article: Association between WeChat use and mental health among middle-aged and older adults: a secondary data analysis of the 2020 China Family Panel Studies database
Abstract:
Objective This study focused on the association between WeChat use, the most popular social software in China, and the mental health of middle-aged and older adults. Design Nationwide cross-sectional study. Setting The China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) database. Participants The study sample included 11?127 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 and above identified from the 2020 CFPS database. Results WeChat usage was negatively associated with depression (OR: 0.782, p<0.01), as was the WeChat Moments sharing (OR: 0.846, p<0.01). 10.310% of the relationship between WeChat usage and depression came from the effects of interpersonal relationships (5.720%) and social trust (4.590%), with significant indirect effects (B=?0.028, p<0.01). Sixteen per cent of the relationship between WeChat Moments sharing and depression came from the effect of interpersonal relationships (6.800%) and social trust (9.200%), and the indirect effect was also significant (B=?0.032, p<0.01). Conclusions WeChat use may empower middle-aged and elderly to maintain close social relationships and trust contributing to their mental health.
Introduction:
According to China’s seventh population census conducted in 2020, the number of people aged 45 years and above reached 600?million, accounting for 42.62% of the population. 1 Compared with the sixth census in 2010, there was an increase of 160?million people and an increase of 9.36?percentage points. 2 China’s population structure is further ageing. With the intensification of population ageing, the mental health problems among middle-aged and elderly have also received social and academic attention. 3 In order to…
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