New findings on the psychological risks of media communication about health crises

Recently, a study by our colleague Sophia Schaller was published in the international journal Risk Analysis. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and shows that media communication about health crises can have negative consequences for people's mental health by amplifying the perception of various risks.

However, a key finding is that these effects depend on the source of information used. In particular, the use of German quality news media (e.g., public broadcasting) increased the perception of health risk posed by the coronavirus. The use of tabloid media or social media platforms, on the other hand, led people to assess the risks of the protective measures for personal freedom more seriously. Both had negative consequences for mental health, but through different ways.

 The study can be found here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/risa.70079