A constant influx of bad news—pandemics, shootings, inflation, natural disasters, political turmoil—can feel soul-crushing at best. Now, new research from Spain confirms that being constantly plugged into the news cycle can take a negative toll.
Researchers have looked at how people can best manage feelings of anxiety and depression in the midst of a pandemic and found that one of the most effective ways is to step away from the barrage of bad news. It turns out that
Full Coverage of the Covid-19 Pandemic
“The best predictor for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms was less news watching.” Radua has also partnered with King’s College London and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
The study will be presented this weekend at the meeting of the European Society of Neuropsychopharmacology in Vienna. Not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Ladua warned that the study was conducted in 2020 and 2021, so it’s unclear how the results will apply as coronavirus cases continue to decline.
Others point out that the negative news coverage a person can take before being affected is very limited. mental health.
“The information is endlessly available,” said Lindsey McKernan, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Even if you don’t put the brakes on, you just keep reading and you’re stressed.”
The Radua study surveyed 942 adults in Spain. online survey Every two weeks for a year during the pandemic. Participants reported whether they felt discouraged and, if so, how they dealt with such feelings. took into account whether
The study found that people who avoided “stressful news” had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
A key to feeling better? maintain a healthy diet;
“Taking care of our bodies is something we can control,” McKernan said. “It develops a sense of predictability and helps relieve stress.”
Spending time outdoors, exercising, and drinking enough water were also found to be associated with lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
The study also tracked whether participants contracted Covid during the study period. Nearly everyone did, according to Ladua.
However, unlike watching too much news, being infected with Covid did not affect the results.
follow NBC Health upon twitter & Facebook.
