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1. Idiosyncratic media exposures during a pandemic and their link to well-being, cognition, and behavior over time

   https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2304550120  

   Jones, Nickolas M.; Thompson, Rebecca R.; Holman, E. Alison; Silver, Roxane Cohen (June 2023, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

   Over the past two decades of research, increased media consumption in the context of collective traumas has been cross-sectionally and longitudinally linked to negative psychological outcomes. However, little is known about the specific information channels that may drive these patterns of response. The current longitudinal investigation uses a probability-based sample of 5,661 Americans measured at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to identify a) distinct patterns of information-channel use (i.e., dimensions) for COVID-related information, b) demographic correlates of these patterns, and c) prospective associations of these information channel dimensions with distress (i.e., worry, global distress, and emotional exhaustion), cognition (e.g., beliefs about the seriousness of COVID-19, response efficacy, and dismissive attitudes), and behavior (e.g., engaging in health-protective behaviors and risk-taking behaviors) 6 mo later. Four distinct information-channel dimensions emerged: journalistic complexity; ideologically focused news; domestically focused news; and nonnews. Results indicate that journalistic complexity was prospectively associated with more emotional exhaustion, belief in the seriousness of the coronavirus, response efficacy, engaging in health-protective behaviors, and less dismissiveness of the pandemic. A reliance on conservative-leaning media was prospectively associated with less psychological distress, taking the pandemic less seriously, and engaging in more risk-taking behaviors. We discuss the implications of this work for the public, policy makers, and future research. 

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2. Politicization of a Pathogen: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of COVID‐19 Responses in a Nationally Representative U.S. Sample

   https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12894  

   Relihan, Daniel P.; Holman, E. Alison; Garfin, Dana Rose; Ditto, Peter H.; Silver, Roxane Cohen (December 2023, Political Psychology)

   Understanding population‐level variability in responses to pathogens over time is important for developing effective health‐based messages targeted at ideologically diverse populations. Research from psychological and political sciences suggests that party and elite cues shape how people respond to major threats like climate change. Research on responses to the COVID‐19 pandemic suggests similar variability across party identities; however, prior work has methodological limitations. This prospective, longitudinal study of a large probability‐based nationally representative U.S. sample assessed in March–April 2020 (N = 6,514) and then 6 months later in September–October 2020 (N = 5,661) demonstrates that COVID‐19 fear, perceived COVID‐19 death risk, and reported health‐protective behaviors became increasingly polarized over the first 6 months of the pandemic. Initial differences between Democrats and Republicans failed to converge over time and became more pronounced. Responses among Republicans were further polarized by support for former President Donald Trump: Trump Republicans initially reported weaker responses to COVID‐19 than non‐Trump Republicans, and these differences became more pronounced over time. Importantly, political identity and Trump support were not linked to perceived infection risk of a nonpoliticized pathogen, the flu. Finally, political identity and Republican Trump support prospectively predicted COVID‐19 vaccine intentions 6 months into the pandemic. 

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3. Psychological distress across 2 years of the COVID‐19 pandemic differs by age and by race/ethnicity

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23169  

   Elliott, Meghan R; Charles, Susan T; Holman, E Alison; Garfin, Dana Rose; Silver, Roxane Cohen (August 2025, Journal of Traumatic Stress)

   Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic profoundly impacted mental health, with psychological distress varying across age and racial/ethnic groups. This study examined trajectories of five distress measures—symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS), anxiety, depression, anger, and somatization—over the first 2 years of the pandemic, adjusting for prepandemic mental health. Participants in a nationally representative, probability‐based U.S. sample (N= 4,298, age range: 18–97 years) completed four online surveys from March 2020 to June 2022. Multilevel models revealed that symptom levels and changes over time varied by age group across outcomes. Across time, PTS and anxiety symptoms declined for most age groups at different rates,F(6, 85,660) = 6.21,p< .001. Younger adults initially reported higher PTS symptom levels at Wave 1,Bs = 0.10–0.14,p< .001, but levels converged across age groups by Wave 4. Rates of anxiety symptoms were similar across age groups at Wave 4 except for older adults, who reported significantly lower levels. Depressive symptoms and anger increased in the initial waves but declined by Wave 4,Bs = −0.25–0.02,p< .001. For all participants, somatization increased after Wave 1,B= −0.30,p< .001, and never returned to initial levels,B= −0.04,p< .001. Additionally, somatization was the only symptom with similar levels across age groups at each wave. Across race/ethnicity, Hispanic adults reported higher distress and less decline over time. Findings highlight distinct symptom trajectories across the pandemic, with generally lower distress levels among the oldest adults. 

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4. The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic: A probability-based, nationally representative study of mental health in the United States

   https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abd5390  

   Holman, E. Alison; Thompson, Rebecca R.; Garfin, Dana Rose; Silver, Roxane Cohen (October 2020, Science Advances)

   null (Ed.)

   The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is a collective stressor unfolding over time; yet, rigorous empirical studies addressing its mental health consequences among large probability-based national samples are rare. Between 18 March and 18 April 2020, as illness and death escalated in the United States, we assessed acute stress, depressive symptoms, and direct, community, and media-based exposures to COVID-19 in three consecutive representative samples from the U.S. probability-based nationally representative NORC AmeriSpeak panel across three 10-day periods (total N = 6514). Acute stress and depressive symptoms increased significantly over time as COVID-19 deaths increased across the United States. Preexisting mental and physical health diagnoses, daily COVID-19–related media exposure, conflicting COVID-19 information in media, and secondary stressors were all associated with acute stress and depressive symptoms. Results have implications for targeting public health interventions and risk communication efforts to promote community resilience as the pandemic waxes and wanes over time. 

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5. Elevated serious psychological distress, economic disruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic in the nonmetropolitan American West

   J. Tom Mueller; Alexis Merdjanoff; Kathryn McConnell; Paul Burow; Justin Farrell (February 2022, Preventive medicine)

   In this study we examined the psychological distress, self-rated health, COVID-19 exposure, and economic disruption of a sample of the nonmetropolitan western U.S. population and labor force one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using novel primary survey data from non-metropolitan counties in the eleven contiguous western United States collected from February 28 until April 3, 2021 (n = 1203), we descriptively analyzed variables and estimated binomial and multinomial logit models of the association between economic disruption, COVID-19 exposure, self-rated health, and psychological distress. Results showed there was widespread presence of psychological distress, COVID-19 exposure, and economic disruption among the overall sample and members of the labor force. There was extremely high incidence of serious psychological distress (14.8% CI [12.1,17.8] of the weighted sample), which was heightened among the labor force (16.6%, CI [13.0,20.9] of those in the labor force). We found economic disruption was associated with severe psychological distress, but exposure to infection was not. Comparatively, overall self-rated health was at similar levels as prior research and was not significantly associated with economic disruption or COVID-19 exposure. COVID-19, particularly its associated economic effects, had a significant relationship with serious psychological distress in this sample of adults in the nonmetropolitan western United States. 

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