{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.04133064516129032, 'fraction_numerical': 0.02620967741935484, 'mean_word_length': 4.907738095238095, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 5, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
IMPACT OF MASS MEDIA ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INDIVIDUALS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

Background & Aim: Exposure to mass media inuences our beliefs, social, economic and political stance and to some
extent our personal relationships. This is a descriptive study about the impact of these on individual behavior and relation
with mental health problems if any.
Methodology : Data collection method for this observational study was via an online survey form (google forms) by convenience sampling. For
a target population of 18-65 year old age groups, Indian citizens with a sample size of 273. Psychological aspects were assessed using Public
Health Questionnaire - Social Anxiety and Depressive symptoms (PHQ-SADS) and Corona Anxiety Scales. Spearman correlation was used to
explore relations between different components.
Result: A statistically signicant positive correlation was found between PHQ-15 scores overall and time spent with entertainment media
sources daily (r=0.349, p<0.01) as well as with PHQ-9 scores(r=0.316, p<0.01). Values of statistical signicance indicating positive correlation
were obtained when PHQ-15 scores of females and time spent with entertainment media sources daily were compared (r=0.38, p<0.01),
similarly with GAD-7 scores in females (r=0.32, p<0.01) . A signicant positive correlation was found between GAD-7 scores and time spent
with news media sources daily in the 46-55 age group (r=0.36, p<0.01). However, anxiety on the Corona anxiety scale was much less and
unrelated to PHQ and GAD.
Conclusion: This study found a positive correlation between psychological morbidity and duration of exposure to mass media.Thus it was
apparent that people with anxiety and/ or depression spend more time on mass media. Time spent on media was unrelated to coronavirus related
anxiety as was thought of, but more related to their poor mental health, which was there perhaps, even before the onset of pandemic. Further
studies can explore this domain.