COVID-19 news consumption and distress in young people: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges for the mental health of young people. The volume, negative content and potential for misinformation within COVID-19 related news can be an additional cause of distress. This systematic review aims to synthesise the research findings on the relationship between COVID-19 news and distress in young people.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO databases were searched on 24 April 2021 for articles that contained empirical research examining the association between COVID-19 news consumption and mental health in samples of young people with a mean age between 10 and 24 years.

RESULTS

The 13 included studies involved 760,474 participants in predominantly cross-sectional studies, with data collected during COVID-19 lockdowns across seven countries. Increased consumption of COVID-19 news was associated with a decline in mental health (n = 11). The results were more consistent for news obtained on social media with variation for traditional media sources. Misinformation may further explain the relationship.

LIMITATIONS

Heterogeneity across study methodologies, lack of longitudinal research and validated measures of news consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

The reviewed literature supports the association between increased consumption of COVID-19 related news and decreased mental health in young people. This group may benefit from support to mitigate the psychological impacts of COVID-19 news. Future research should utilise longitudinal designs, ecological momentary assessments, and reliable/valid measures of news consumption to explore the negative mental health associated with COVID-19 news in young people.