International Journal of Bipolar Disorders (Sep 2018)
Internet use by older adults with bipolar disorder: international survey results
- Rita Bauer,
- Tasha Glenn,
- Sergio Strejilevich,
- Jörn Conell,
- Martin Alda,
- Raffaella Ardau,
- Bernhard T. Baune,
- Michael Berk,
- Yuly Bersudsky,
- Amy Bilderbeck,
- Alberto Bocchetta,
- Angela M. Paredes Castro,
- Eric Y. W. Cheung,
- Caterina Chillotti,
- Sabine Choppin,
- Alessandro Cuomo,
- Maria Del Zompo,
- Rodrigo Dias,
- Seetal Dodd,
- Anne Duffy,
- Bruno Etain,
- Andrea Fagiolini,
- Miryam Fernández Hernandez,
- Julie Garnham,
- John Geddes,
- Jonas Gildebro,
- Michael J. Gitlin,
- Ana Gonzalez-Pinto,
- Guy M. Goodwin,
- Paul Grof,
- Hirohiko Harima,
- Stefanie Hassel,
- Chantal Henry,
- Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei,
- Anne Hvenegaard Lund,
- Vaisnvy Kapur,
- Girish Kunigiri,
- Beny Lafer,
- Erik R. Larsen,
- Ute Lewitzka,
- Rasmus W. Licht,
- Blazej Misiak,
- Patryk Piotrowski,
- Ângela Miranda-Scippa,
- Scott Monteith,
- Rodrigo Munoz,
- Takako Nakanotani,
- René E. Nielsen,
- Claire O’Donovan,
- Yasushi Okamura,
- Yamima Osher,
- Andreas Reif,
- Philipp Ritter,
- Janusz K. Rybakowski,
- Kemal Sagduyu,
- Brett Sawchuk,
- Elon Schwartz,
- Claire Slaney,
- Ahmad H. Sulaiman,
- Kirsi Suominen,
- Aleksandra Suwalska,
- Peter Tam,
- Yoshitaka Tatebayashi,
- Leonardo Tondo,
- Julia Veeh,
- Eduard Vieta,
- Maj Vinberg,
- Biju Viswanath,
- Mark Zetin,
- Peter C. Whybrow,
- Michael Bauer
Affiliations
- Rita Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden
- Tasha Glenn
- ChronoRecord Association
- Sergio Strejilevich
- Bipolar Disorder Program, Neuroscience Institute, Favaloro University
- Jörn Conell
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden
- Martin Alda
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
- Raffaella Ardau
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of Cagliari
- Bernhard T. Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide
- Michael Berk
- School of Medicine, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University
- Yuly Bersudsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Beer Sheva Mental Health Center
- Amy Bilderbeck
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital
- Alberto Bocchetta
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari
- Angela M. Paredes Castro
- School of Medicine, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University
- Eric Y. W. Cheung
- Department of General Adult Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital
- Caterina Chillotti
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of Cagliari
- Sabine Choppin
- AP–HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor
- Alessandro Cuomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Mental Health (DAI), University of Siena and University of Siena Medical Center (AOUS)
- Maria Del Zompo
- Section of Neurosciences and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari
- Rodrigo Dias
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School
- Seetal Dodd
- School of Medicine, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, Deakin University
- Anne Duffy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary
- Bruno Etain
- AP–HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, INSERM U955 (IMRB), Université Paris Est
- Andrea Fagiolini
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Department of Mental Health (DAI), University of Siena and University of Siena Medical Center (AOUS)
- Miryam Fernández Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Alava, University of the Basque Country, CIBERSAM
- Julie Garnham
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
- John Geddes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital
- Jonas Gildebro
- Department of Affective Disorders, Q, Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital
- Michael J. Gitlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Ana Gonzalez-Pinto
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Alava, University of the Basque Country, CIBERSAM
- Guy M. Goodwin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital
- Paul Grof
- Mood Disorders Center of Ottawa
- Hirohiko Harima
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital
- Stefanie Hassel
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
- Chantal Henry
- AP–HP, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri-Mondor, INSERM U955 (IMRB), Université Paris Est
- Diego Hidalgo-Mazzei
- Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM
- Anne Hvenegaard Lund
- Department of Affective Disorders, Q, Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital
- Vaisnvy Kapur
- Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS
- Girish Kunigiri
- Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
- Beny Lafer
- Bipolar Disorder Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School
- Erik R. Larsen
- Institute of Clinical Research, Research Unit of Psychiatry, University of Southern Denmark
- Ute Lewitzka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden
- Rasmus W. Licht
- Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry
- Blazej Misiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University
- Patryk Piotrowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University
- Ângela Miranda-Scippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Federal University of Bahia
- Scott Monteith
- Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
- Rodrigo Munoz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego
- Takako Nakanotani
- Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
- René E. Nielsen
- Aalborg University Hospital, Psychiatry
- Claire O’Donovan
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
- Yasushi Okamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital
- Yamima Osher
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Beer Sheva Mental Health Center
- Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main
- Philipp Ritter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden
- Janusz K. Rybakowski
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences
- Kemal Sagduyu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine
- Brett Sawchuk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary
- Elon Schwartz
- Claire Slaney
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University
- Ahmad H. Sulaiman
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya
- Kirsi Suominen
- City of Helsinki, Department of Social Services and Health Care, Psychiatry
- Aleksandra Suwalska
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences
- Peter Tam
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong
- Yoshitaka Tatebayashi
- Affective Disorders Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
- Leonardo Tondo
- McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- Julia Veeh
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main
- Eduard Vieta
- Bipolar Disorders Program, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM
- Maj Vinberg
- Psychiatric Center Copenhagen
- Biju Viswanath
- Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS
- Mark Zetin
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University
- Peter C. Whybrow
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Michael Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-018-0127-7
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 6,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 7
Abstract
Abstract Background The world population is aging and the number of older adults with bipolar disorder is increasing. Digital technologies are viewed as a framework to improve care of older adults with bipolar disorder. This analysis quantifies Internet use by older adults with bipolar disorder as part of a larger survey project about information seeking. Methods A paper-based survey about information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder was developed and translated into 12 languages. The survey was anonymous and completed between March 2014 and January 2016 by 1222 patients in 17 countries. All patients were diagnosed by a psychiatrist. General estimating equations were used to account for correlated data. Results Overall, 47% of older adults (age 60 years or older) used the Internet versus 87% of younger adults (less than 60 years). More education and having symptoms that interfered with regular activities increased the odds of using the Internet, while being age 60 years or older decreased the odds. Data from 187 older adults and 1021 younger adults were included in the analysis excluding missing values. Conclusions Older adults with bipolar disorder use the Internet much less frequently than younger adults. Many older adults do not use the Internet, and technology tools are suitable for some but not all older adults. As more health services are only available online, and more digital tools are developed, there is concern about growing health disparities based on age. Mental health experts should participate in determining the appropriate role for digital tools for older adults with bipolar disorder.
