Viral Transmission? A Longitudinal Study of Media Use and Its Relation to Mental Strain During the First 2 Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In light of the dynamic COVID-19 pandemic, the exposure to pandemic-related media coverage may change over time and may be particularly relevant due to associations with psychopathological symptoms. The aims of the present study were to examine changes in media consumption over time and to analyze its prospective associations with psychological strain.

Method

The study uses a longitudinal observational design with ten periods of online data collection from March 2020 to April 2022 in an adult convenience sample (N = 8337) of the general population in Germany.

Results

Our data revealed that the frequency and duration of pandemic-related media exposure as well as their subjective critical evaluation showed the highest levels at the beginning of the pandemic a

SUBMITTER: Bendau A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12031861 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature