ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology of Aging
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1634854
Digital back-feeding and the mental health of rural older adults: Mediation of basic psychological need satisfaction
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- 2Wuhan University School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan, China
- 3Research Centre for Rural Health Service, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of Hubei Provincial Department of Education, Wuhan, China
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Background: This study aims to explore the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction in the relationship between digital back-feeding and mental health (specifically depression and loneliness) in rural older adults. The objective is to examine how different forms of digital back-feeding influence mental health by enhancing the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. Methods: This study employed a multistage stratified sampling method, in which 1,663 valid survey responses were collected online. Depression and loneliness in older adults were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale and UCLA Loneliness Scale-6, respectively. Sociodemographic characteristics were controlled for in the analysis. Results: Digital access, skills, and literacy were identified as significant negative predictors of depression and loneliness among older adults in rural areas, with basic psychological need satisfaction serving as a key mediator in this relationship. The adverse effects of digital access on depression and loneliness were especially pronounced among men, residents of lower-GDP regions, and individuals from low-income groups. Conclusions: This study explored the impact of digital back-feeding on the psychological health of older adults in rural areas, with a focus on the mediating role of basic psychological need satisfaction. The results revealed considerable heterogeneity in the effects of digital back-feeding on mental health, with variations across gender, regional economic development, and income levels. Based on these findings, we recommend that policymakers promoting digital empowerment consider these factors to design more targeted and effective intervention strategies.
Keywords: Digital back-feeding, Rural older adults, Mental Health, Basic PsychologicalNeed Satisfaction, China
Received: 27 May 2025; Accepted: 01 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yang, Li, Bi and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yingchun Chen, School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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