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 and peaked again in autumn 2020 and spring 2021. The primarily used media formats changed only slightly over time. The amount of media exposure at baseline was associated with more impairing pandemic-related anxiety 1 month, 1 year, and 2 years later. Conclusion: Our results hint to potentially problematical and long-lasting associations of pandemic-related media consumption with mental strain. Our findings could serve as an orientation for recommendations, further research, and adequate interventions for a responsible dealing with media coverage. Trial Registration: The authors have pre-registered this research at clinicaltrials.gov without an analysis plan; retrievable at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04331106.