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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

EV0816

The association between smart device use and depression in older adults: A cross-sectional study using data from the 2023 Korean Survey of Older Adults

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SMART DEVICE USE AND DEPRESSION AMONG OLDER ADULTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY USING THE 2023 KOREAN ELDERLY SURVEY

In older adults, smart device ownership is associated with lower depression scores, whereas device use and longer duration of use are associated with higher depression scores, and the direction of the association varies according to the purpose of use.

The aim was to examine the association between patterns of smart device use and depression in older adults. Data from the 2023 Korean Survey of Older Adults were used, with 9,951 older adults included in the final analysis; the dependent variable was the depression score, and the independent variables were smart device ownership, device use status, duration of use, and specific purposes of use. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using SPSS 26. The model was statistically significant (F(16, 9934)=61.097, p<0.001) and explained 9.0% of the variance in depression scores (R2=0.090; adjusted R2=0.088). Smart device ownership was associated with lower depression scores (B=-1.015; standard error 0.115; β=-0.135; p<0.001; 95% CI -1.241 to -0.789), whereas device use (B=0.723; β=0.107; p<0.001) and longer daily duration of use (B=0.001; p=0.003) were associated with higher depression scores. Using the device to receive messages (B=-0.425), send messages (B=-0.390), search for information (B=-0.326), take photographs (B=-0.386), listen to music (B=-0.315), engage in e-commerce (B=-0.430), and conduct financial transactions (B=-0.497) was associated with lower depression scores (all p<0.01). No significant associations were found for video calls, gaming, watching videos, social networking, searching for apps, or making restaurant reservations or hospital appointments. In conclusion, smart device use in older adults is significantly associated with depression levels, and because the direction of the association varies according to the pattern of use, both digital access and how devices are used should be considered in depression prevention and digital health interventions.

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