The role of anxiety in mediating the relationship between information consumption and COVID-19 protective behaviours.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns have been raised about an 'infodemic', with information and misinformation being spread across multiple channels and mediums. Information consumption has also been associated with increased anxiety throughout the pandemic. Thus, the present study investigates the mediating role of state anxiety on the relationship between information consumption (defined as mean frequency of information consumption multiplied by number of information sources) and COVID-19 protective behaviours. We compare results across Australian and United States samples and account for personal risk perception and belief in misinformation about COVID-19. Cross-sectional data collected between 28 and 30 April 2020 were analysed using Bayesian structural equation modelling among participants from Australia (N = 201), and the United States (N = 306). State anxiety scores were above the conventional clinical cut-off. Information consumption was positively associated with state anxiety, personal risk perception, and COVID-19 protective behaviours in the Australian and the United States samples. Additionally, the relationship between information consumption and COVID-19 protective behaviours was positively mediated by state anxiety in both nations, suggesting some functional benefits of anxiety. Differences in risk perception and belief in misinformation existed between the Australian and United States sample. Findings provide support for current guidance from organisations such as the WHO, APA, and APS on limiting information consumption to reduce anxiety. To effectively communicate critical public health messaging while minimising potential burdens on mental health, there is a need to develop and test interventions that assist people in calibrating the extent and nature of their information consumption.

What’s Positive in a Pandemic? Journalism Professionals’ Perspectives on Constructive Approaches to COVID-19 News Reporting

Throughout COVID-19, the proliferation of misinformation and the impact of negative news on mental health highlights a tension between news media as a source of essential public health information and news as a source of distress. A suggested approach to reporting which remains informative while tempering audience distress is constructive journalism. We investigated the benefits and applications of constructive news reporting during COVID-19 from the perspectives of journalism professionals interested in constructive approaches. Eleven participants from four continents were interviewed in the first two months of the pandemic. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, and two themes produced: “Sober not sensational” and “What’s positive in a pandemic?” Six subthemes were also produced: “beyond the numbers”, “slower reporting”, “understanding uncertainty”, “solutions”, “we’re all in the same boat” and “awakening”. Constructive approaches were seen to help journalists navigate their roles as educators and to provide hope without inciting undue panic. Our interviews suggest constructive news reporting could assist in balancing informativeness and public mental health throughout the pandemic. More work is needed, however, that incorporates randomised controlled testing to establish whether constructive journalism techniques meaningfully impact audience mental health beyond standard approaches. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journalism Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Hand Hygiene and Mask-Wearing Practices during COVID-19 among Healthcare Workers: Misinformation as a Predictor.

Poor public health information is a hurdle in infectious disease control. The study aims to examine whether healthcare workers adhere to hand hygiene and mask-wearing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore their exposure to misinformation about the pandemic as a predictor. A cross-sectional survey was sent to 518 healthcare workers across Indonesia, the fourth largest nation in the world, in September 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents reported whether they adhered to the guidelines of hand hygiene and mask wearing and whether they believed in four pieces of misinformation about the origin, severity, contagion, and prevention of COVID-19. The association between misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing was tested with logistic regression models controlling for demographic and health-related covariates. Approximately 25% of healthcare workers did not always adhere to hand hygiene guidelines and approximately 5% did not adhere to mask-wearing guidelines. There are significant associations between all four pieces of misinformation and hand hygiene and mask wearing. It is important to improve public health information about COVID-19, which may hold key to healthcare workers' hand hygiene and mask wearing and to protect their health and patients' safety.