COVID and mental health (using NewsGuard)

  • Article

We know that COVID-19 is a dangerous disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that emerged in December 2019. We know that it affects our physical health. However, a pandemic can cause harm that goes beyond physical health effects. You're interested in learning how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health, and how people are coping. You decide to search the internet to find out!

Question to think about:

  • How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health?
  • What coping mechanisms are people using? Are they effective?

Try it

  1. Open Search Coach.
  2. Type [covid and mental health] in the search bar and run your search.
    1. Before selecting any results, observe any NewsGuard ratings that come up from your search. The higher the rating, the more credible the site is.
    2. Notice that some of the top links don't have 100/100 scores. Select the NewsGuard rating. What did they lose points for? How might this impact whether the site is credible?
  3. Find a site with the highest NewsGuard rating you can and see if it answers your questions.

Think about it

  • Why are the different components of a NewsGuard rating important?
  • What are some strategies for coping with mental health challenges during a pandemic?

Teacher resources