In a recent study conducted in Guarulhos, researchers have revealed that WhatsApp can help older people reduce depression and loneliness. It is a very important tool, and everyone is using it. But it was unknown that it can help people with depression and loneliness feel better.Â
This study was published in the journal Nature Medicine. In this study, researchers involved 603 people. These people were aged over 60. These people were checked for depression and they showed most of the symptoms. Researchers divided them into two groups such as the intervention group and the control group. The intervention group was consisted of 298 people and they received 2 messages every day through the Viva Vida program (Long Live Life) for six weeks. On the other hand, the control group consisted of 305 people and they received only one educational message. Both groups did not receive any medical care from healthcare professionals. Only 527 people completed this study. Â
When researchers observed the results, they found that this method reduced the symptoms of 42.4% of people in the intervention group. On the other hand, it was very low in the control group as only 32.2% of people showed improvement in symptoms of depression. This difference of 10 percent seems small but it represents millions of people. The results clearly show that WhatsApp messages can be an effective treatment for older people with depression. It can reduce the symptoms of depression very effectively. Â
This study is very important for a country like Brazil as many people are getting older. They also have very limited treatments and services for depression and loneliness. This program is not so expensive and very easy to implement. So, many poor countries can use this method to treat older people with depression and loneliness. Researchers of this study want to do further research to find more benefits of this method. Â
The results of this study clearly show that WhatsApp messages can effectively reduce the symptoms of depression in older people. So, healthcare professionals should make some effective strategies. They should tell these people how to use WhatsApp messages effectively to get positive results. Â
Reference Link:Â Â
Marcia Scazufca et al, Self-help mobile messaging intervention for depression among older adults in resource-limited settings: a randomized controlled trial, Nature Medicine (2024). Â
