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. 2020 Nov;59(5):630-638.
doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.008. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Associations Between Media Exposure and Mental Distress Among U.S. Adults at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kira E Riehm  1 , Calliope Holingue  2 , Luther G Kalb  2 , Daniel Bennett  3 , Arie Kapteyn  3 , Qin Jiang  3 , Cindy B Veldhuis  4 , Renee M Johnson  5 , M Daniele Fallin  5 , Frauke Kreuter  6 , Elizabeth A Stuart  5 , Johannes Thrul  5
Affiliations

Associations Between Media Exposure and Mental Distress Among U.S. Adults at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kira E Riehm et al. Am J Prev Med. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Exposure to disaster-related media may be a risk factor for mental distress, but this has not been examined in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assesses whether exposure to social and traditional media during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mental distress among U.S. adults.

Methods: Data came from the Understanding America Study, conducted with a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of adults who completed surveys online. Participants included 6,329 adults surveyed between March 10 and March 31, 2020. Regression analyses examined the associations of (1) self-reported average time spent on social media in a day (hours) and (2) number of traditional media sources (radio, TV, and newspaper) consulted to learn about COVID-19 with self-reported mental distress (4-item Patient Health Questionnaire). Data were analyzed in April 2020.

Results: Participants responding at later survey dates reported more time spent on social media (β=0.02, 95% CI=0.01, 0.03), a greater number of traditional media sources consulted to learn about COVID-19 (β=0.01, 95% CI=0.01, 0.02), and greater mental distress (β=0.07, 95% CI=0.04, 0.09). Increased time spent on social media and consulting a greater number of traditional media sources to learn about COVID-19 were independently associated with increased mental distress, even after adjusting for potential confounders (social media: β=0.14, 95% CI=0.05, 0.23; traditional media: β=0.14, 95% CI=0.08, 0.20).

Conclusions: Exposure to a greater number of traditional media sources and more hours on social media was modestly associated with mental distress during the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Linear predictions and 95% CIs for time spent on social media in a day (Panel A), the number of traditional media sources consulted to learn about COVID-19 (Panel B), and mental distress measured by the PHQ-4 (Panel C) by date of survey completion among U.S. adults in the UAS230 Panel, 2020 (n=6,329). PHQ-4, 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire; UAS, Understanding America Study.
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