Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health: Real-time surveillance using Google Trends #MMPMID32790441
Hoerger M; Alonzi S; Perry LM; Voss HM; Easwar S; Gerhart JI
Psychol Trauma 2020[Sep]; 12 (6): 567-568 PMID32790441show ga
In the wake of COVID-19, the capacity to track emerging trends in mental health symptoms and needs will guide public health responses at multiple ecological levels. Using Google Trends to track population-level mental health-related Google searches in the United States, this investigation identified pandemic-associated spikes in searches related to anxiety symptoms and remote treatments for anxiety, such as deep breathing and body scan meditation. As other discernable population-level changes in mental health have yet to emerge, continued surveillance is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).