Papel das TIC face à solidão e depressão em adultos, durante a pandemia COVID-19

Abstract

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the literature on the use ofICT, in particular the internet, and its impact on mental health. However, the studies focusmainly on the negative part of the use, eventually blurring its potential. The confinementcaused by Covid-19, instigated the need to implement mitigation strategies during theisolation period, boosting the importance of Information and CommunicationTechnologies. In this sense, the present study aimed to analyze the relationship betweeninternet use, loneliness, and depression. In this investigation, 136 adults participated, agedbetween 20 and 81 years, most of them female. Data collection was done in online format,from the Google Forms platform, and contained a sociodemographic questionnaire andthree self-response instruments to assess the presence of feelings of loneliness (UCLALS), depressive symptomatology (GDS-15) and also the use of the Internet (GPIUS2).The results allowed us to identify that the use of the Internet is related to loneliness andthat loneliness is related to depression. In turn, internet use seems to be more prevalent inyounger adults, while younger adults and, essentially, older adults experience morefeelings of loneliness. Divorced individuals, too, experience greater isolation. Althoughthere were no significant differences, the use of the internet, loneliness and depressionseems to prevail more in women. These results warn of the relevance of furtherlongitudinal studies that allow us to perceive the influence between the variables, andwhether the Covid-19 pandemic brought changes in this ICT and mental healthrelationship.

Date of Award	13 Jan 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo César Dias (Supervisor)