A Systematic Review of Infodemic Effects on Mental Health in the COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

Background: Infodemic in Covid-19 epidemic is the title of too much information about this disease that spreads quickly. This information can cause various psychological consequences in people. Objectives: This systematic review study surveyed the effect of infodemic on individuals' mental health in the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: The principles of PRISMA were used to conduct this systematic review. Data was collected by searching the WOS, PubMed, and Scopus databases on December 31, 2021. Inclusion criteria included English-language research articles that were in relation to the purpose of the study. Results: For the final review of the present study, 17 articles were selected. The results showed anxiety (11 articles), depression (6 articles), and stress (5 articles) as the main psychological consequences of individuals in facing the media, news, and COVID-19-related information. According to the study, people who are more subjected to COVID-19-related information are more prone to psychological consequences and more exposed to anxiety, depression, and stress. Conclusion: Accordingly, it is recommended that individuals, while raising their health and media literacy, avoid as much as possible the constant pursuit of COVID-19-related news, especially obtaining news from unreliable sources.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Infodemic
• Information
• Media
• Mental Health