Can Digital Communication Protect Against Depression for Older Adults With Hearing and Vision Impairment During COVID-19?

Objectives: During social isolation imposed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, older adults with impaired hearing and vision potentially experienced more communication challenges, increasing their risk for poor mental health. Digital communication (e.g., video calls, e-mail/text/social media) may alleviate in-person isolation and protect against depression. We addressed this question using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a nationally representative panel study of community-dwelling older adults.

Method: Two thousand five hundred fifty-eight adults aged 55 and older comprised the analytic sample. Interviewer rating at baseline (2015-2016) classified those with vision impairment (VI) or hearing impairment (HI). Olfactory impairment (OI) was measured by objective testing. During COVID-19 (2020-2021), respondents reported how often they contacted nonhousehold family or friends and whether this was by phone, e-mail/text/social media, video, or in-person. They also quantified the frequency of depressive feelings.

Results: Older adults with VI or HI but not OI at baseline were significantly less likely to report regular use of video calling and e-mail/text/social media during the pandemic compared to those without impairment. Sensory impairments did not affect the frequency of phone or in-person communication. Adults with VI or HI were more likely to experience frequent depressive feelings during COVID-19. Video calls mitigated this negative effect of VI- and HI-associated depressive feelings in a dose-dependent manner.

Discussion: Among communication modalities, video calling had a protective effect against depressive feelings for people with sensory impairment during social isolation. Improving access to and usability of video communication for older adults with sensory impairment could be a strategy to improve their mental health.