As we embrace the digital age and the aging population grows, it’s essential to consider the mental well-being of our older population. The increasing demand for mental health services, combined with a shortage of mental health professionals specializing in caring for older adults (geriatric), raises significant concerns about unmet care needs. According to the United Nations, the proportion of the global population >65 years is increasing and is expected to reach 1 in 6 people by 2050, compared with 1 in 11 in 2019.
Often overlooked, mental health in older adults is a critical aspect of overall wellness. Fortunately, digital innovations are providing new avenues for older adults to maintain and even improve their mental health. In this article, we will explore how digital technologies cater to the unique mental health needs of older individuals, ensuring that they can age gracefully and enjoy the benefits of this transformative era.
Aging often comes with a range of mental health challenges, including loneliness, depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. Social isolation, the loss of loved ones, and physical health issues can contribute to these struggles.
The World Health Organization reports that 1 in 5 adults aged ≥60 years is affected by a mental or neurological disorder, excluding headaches, and these disorders account for 17.4% of the years lived with disability.
The most common mental health disorders in this age group are depression and anxiety, affecting approximately 7% and 3.8% of older adults worldwide, respectively.
Recognizing these issues, researchers and healthcare professionals have turned to digital well-being interventions as a means to address these challenges.
What Are Digital Well-being Interventions?
Digital well-being interventions encompass a variety of tools and platforms designed to enhance emotional, psychological, and social aspects of an individual’s life. They are accessible through smartphones, tablets, and computers, making them a convenient and flexible option for older adults. Digital mental health interventions are promising in their ability to provide researchers, mental health professionals, clinicians, and patients with personalised tools for assessing their behaviour and seeking consultation, treatment, and peer support. For example, synchronous and asynchronous therapist contact, web-based peer support provided by people with lived experience of mental health issues, web-based or computer-based therapy programs, mobile-based therapy programs, etc. Mobile apps are a novel way to deliver therapy programs on mobile devices and share similarities to web-based or computer-based therapy programs. Over 2200 mobile apps claim to deliver therapy for several mental health conditions but lack rigorous validation, are not necessarily based on therapeutic principles, are gamified and addictive, or harm recovery.
Over the past 2 decades, a number of digital interventions have been developed to address the general unmet need for mental health care, and research suggests that these can effectively help improve mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology became especially important for older individuals and family caregivers who faced challenges due to physical distancing and restrictions on in-person interactions. Recent research over the past decade has shown that older people are increasingly adopting technology to combat social isolation and access essential health and community services.
Furthermore, there is evidence supporting the effectiveness of digital mental health interventions, such as computer-assisted therapy, smartphone apps, and wearable technologies, in diagnosing, treating, and alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety, particularly among younger individuals. Previous systematic reviews have also indicated that digitally delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can serve as a valuable, low-intensity psychological intervention for older adults dealing with mild-to-moderate mental health issues.
Especially when considering mental health, it seems that digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are filling a crucial void in healthcare services. Comprehensive assessments and meta-analyses have consistently demonstrated the advantages of DMHIs, particularly for individuals grappling with conditions like depression and anxiety.
Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) offer substantial improvements in mental health treatment accessibility by addressing common barriers to care. Firstly, DMHI removes constraints like limited appointment availability, office hours, geographic distance, and transportation issues, making care more accessible. Secondly, it provides on-demand access from anywhere with internet connectivity, offering greater privacy and reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental health treatment. Thirdly, DMHI for depression reduces the burden on clinicians by streamlining the delivery of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) through therapist-guided, layperson-supported, or self-guided programs. This enhanced accessibility and efficiency make DMHIs a valuable solution for mental health care.
But here comes another angle of the matter: a digital gap between generations remains; older adults make less frequent use of the Internet or smartphones than younger adults. A representative survey across Switzerland and 16 European Union countries showed that only 49% of people aged 50 and older use the Internet.
While digital interventions have been proposed as a potential solution to address these unmet needs in the general population, there have been limited investigations into their impact on older adults. The current findings contribute to the expanding body of research, indicating that although older adults are less likely to initially embrace digital interventions without some form of introduction, those who do engage with these interventions experience positive improvements in their mental health. This suggests that digital interventions could offer a promising avenue for enhancing access to mental health care among older adults. Additionally, digital health programs may empower older adults by providing them with opportunities to address their mental health concerns independently, without feeling like they are imposing on others. Considering these potential advantages, it is crucial to prioritize the development of digital interventions tailored specifically to the unique needs of older adults and to promote education about these digital tools to enhance older adults’ awareness of and comfort with their use.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of technology in bridging gaps caused by physical distancing and restrictions on face-to-face interactions, especially for older adults and their caregivers. This period illuminated the potential of digital solutions to address isolation and access vital services. As we move forward, recognizing the value of technology in supporting mental health and well-being, particularly among older adults, becomes increasingly critical.