The Mental Health Impact of Daily News Exposure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

The Mental Health Impact of Daily News Exposure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ecological Momentary Assessment Study

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BackgroundConsumption of distressing news media, which substantially increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, has demonstrable negative effects on mental health.ObjectiveThis study examines the proximal impact of daily exposure to news about COVID-19 on mental health in the first year of the pandemic.MethodsA sample of 546 college students completed daily ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) for Sensory Toy 8 weeks, measuring exposure to news about COVID-19, worry and optimism specifically related to COVID-19, hopelessness, and general worry.ResultsParticipants completed >80,000 surveys.Multilevel mediation models indicated that greater daily exposure to news about COVID-19 is associated with higher same-day and next-day worry about the pandemic.

Elevations in worry specifically about COVID-19 Bowls were in turn associated with greater next-day hopelessness and general worry.Optimism about COVID-19 mediated the relationship between daily exposure to COVID-19 news and next-day general worry but was not related to hopelessness.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the mental health impact of daily exposure to COVID-19 news and highlights how worry about the pandemic contributes over time to hopelessness and general worry.