Media and scientific communication about the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions on the population's mental health

Abstract

Background: Good communication strategies are essential in times of crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic. The dissemination of inaccurate information and the need for social isolation to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown a negative impact on the population, causing damage to mental health, with the appearance or worsening of symptoms of stress, fear, anxiety, and depression. Thus, the systematic review study is intended to gather evidence on the impact of information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population. Methods: This systematic review protocol is conducted using the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The review aims to include published studies that address the exposure of the general population to information about COVID-19, through observational and experimental studies, which consider the following outcomes: fear, stress, anxiety, and depression. Thus, a comprehensive research strategy will be conducted in the following databases: PubMed / Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Science Direct, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Two independent reviewers will perform all procedures, such as study selection, data collection, and methodological evaluation. Disagreements will be forwarded to a third reviewer. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for data analysis. Results: This systematic review will provide evidence of the influence of access to and consumption of media and scientific information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population. It will consider information about the characterization of the study and the population studied, clinical and epidemiological information on mental health, and data on access to and consumption of media and scientific information. Discussion: The results should inform about the consequences of communication about the new coronavirus on the emergence or worsening of psychological and psychiatric symptoms, allowing to develop strategies to achieve effective communication of information to promote the mental health of the population. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020182918

Donor’s Perspectives on Blood Donation During Covid-19 Pandemic

“…This uncertainty can be attributed to the fact that scientific evidence is still uncertain, emergent, and evolving [ 28 ]. The dissemination of inaccurate scientific information, coupled with misleading rumours that has the potential to grow exponentially, can become sources of fear, prejudice, and inappropriate behaviour [ 29 ].…”

Risk factors of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: The roles of coping style and emotional regulation

“…Previous studies have reported that psychological problems can occur during pandemics ( Chen et al., 2006 ; Main et al., 2011 ; Salomon et al., 2021 ). In fact, the increasing and continuous threat of the pandemic led to a global atmosphere of psychological distress (PD), partially due to disrupted travel plans, social isolation, media information overload, and panic buying of necessity goods ( Purtle, 2020 ; Pimenta et al., 2020 ; Bagus et al., 2021 ).…”

Experiencias de telesalud en un hospital especializado en salud mental durante la pandemia de COVID-19 en Perú

“…Por último, se incrementaron los cursos y ponencias virtuales, abordando aspectos no solo de psiquiatría y salud mental, en contraste con otra experiencia de un hospital general de Cuba, que no abordó aspectos psicoemocionales de la COVID-19 (9) . Asimismo, brindar información pertinente a la población sobre salud mental durante la pandemia, es comparable con experiencias de concientización y contribuyen a reducir el impacto del exceso de información inadecuada que se obtiene por internet (28) .…”