Governmental Social Media Effectiveness on Mental Health Issues in Malaysia During the Covid19 Endemic Phase

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the relationship between social media usage and mental health outcomes among the Malaysian public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research utilizes a quantitative research approach and includes survey responses from 378 individuals in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Data was collected through online surveys disseminated via popular social media platforms. The majority of respondents were female, aged between 21 and 30, Malay, and held a bachelor's degree or higher. The study employed frequency distribution, descriptive, reliability, and correlation analyses to explore the association between social media usage and mental health outcomes. The findings suggest a modest positive correlation between social media usage and mental health outcomes during the pandemic. However, after controlling for confounding variables, this relationship lost significance, indicating that social media usage alone may not be a reliable predictor of mental health outcomes. Furthermore, the study identified significant relationships between social media usage and economic factors, government factors, the theory of uses and gratification, and media trends. The study highlights the potential benefits of social media in government communication but recommends further research to assess the effectiveness of government initiatives utilizing social media in addressing mental health concerns during the pandemic.