Abstract
to map scientific knowledge about the repercussions of the infodemic on adult and elderly mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. this is a scoping review, developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, which included 33 articles. These articles were analyzed according to average age, gender and education level; place and period of the studies; exposure time to COVID-19 information; main signs and symptoms related to mental health; main sources of information; suggestions for mitigating the effects of the infodemic; and knowledge gaps. the most present repercussions of the infodemic on the adult and elderly mental health were anxiety, depression and stress, and the most affected group was young adults and females. future studies with more robust designs are needed to investigate the repercussions of the infodemic on people's mental health in the medium and long term, as well as to assess the effects, feasibility, cost-benefit and meaning of interventions in population groups, especially in the elderly population.
Highlights
In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, the first cases of what was announced, on March 30, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO) began as the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2), cause of the disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)(1–2)
Seven articles were excluded due to inability to access the full text; 14 did not address aspects related to mental health; three addressed only mental health during the pandemic and were not related to the infodemic; two did not include the context chosen for the research; and an article was published in Russian
The final sample consisted of 31 articles, a WHO document and a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) document, read in full and analyzed by two researchers and study authors
Summary
In December 2019, in the city of Wuhan, China, the first cases of what was announced, on March 30, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO) began as the new coronavirus pandemic (SARS-CoV-2), cause of the disease known as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)(1–2).This disease is highly contagious, as it severely affects the airways, causes an increased risk of vascular permeability, organ failure and, death, if not controlled, being transmitted from human to human rapidly[1,2,3]. The ease of purchasing electronic equipment and devices and the connection to the internet have enabled people to access and share information in real time and anywhere in the world This aspect favors the dissemination of false news, of dubious origin, in addition to the large amount of information that is presented to individuals[4]. Unrestrained sharing of unauthenticated and, in many cases, incorrect information increases misinformation and fosters serious consequences, such as deaths, denial, conspiracy theories, xenophobia, discrimination and racism[7] In this regard, we can say that we are experiencing an epidemic of misinformation, in which false information is created and disseminated with the intention of deceiving and/or harming[8]
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