Buffering against exposure to mental health misinformation in online communities on Facebook: the interplay of depression literacy and expert moderation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The proliferation of health misinformation on social media is a growing public health concern. Online communities for mental health (OCMHs) are also considered an outlet for exposure to misinformation. This study explored the impact of the self-reported volume of exposure to mental health misinformation in misinformation agreement and the moderating effects of depression literacy and type of OCMHs participation (expert vs. peer-led).

Methods

Participants (n = 403) were recruited in Italian-speaking OCMHs on Facebook. We conducted regression analyses using PROCESS macro (moderated moderation, Model 3). Measures included: the Depression Literacy Questionnaire (Griffiths et al., 2004), the self-reported misinformation exposure in the OCMHs (3 items), and misinformati

SUBMITTER: Bizzotto N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10436646 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature