Preprints are early versions of research articles that have not been peer reviewed. They should not be regarded as conclusive and should not be reported in news media as established information.
COVID-19 Cases and Google Searches for Mental Health.docx (133.6 kB)
Download fileThe Association Between New COVID-19 Cases and Google Searches for Mental Health
preprint
posted on 2020-06-09, 23:02 authored by Patrick Tennant, Jennifer GonzalezJennifer Gonzalez, Melissa Rowan, Catie Hilbelink, Quianta MooreMental health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and societal changes are an important matter of public health. We examined the state-level association between new cases of COVID-19 reported and mental health, as measured through Google search trends, on a daily basis. Our analyses indicate a significant positive association, such that increases in mental health Google searches should be expected on days when relatively more new cases of COVID-19 are announced. The overall effect and state-level variation were analyzed via a multi-level model and full results are included here. Implications and public policy suggestions are discussed.
Funding
No funding was received to support this work.
History
Declaration of conflicts of interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.Corresponding author email
pstennant@rice.eduLead author country
- United States
Lead author job role
- Independent researcher
Lead author institution
Rice University's Baker Institute for Public PolicyHuman Participants
- No
Comments
Log in to write your comment here...