Quantifying the Effects of COVID-19 on Mental Health Support Forums

TL;DR

This study analyzes Reddit mental health support forums to quantify COVID-19's impact on discussion frequency, activity levels, and language use, providing insights into how the pandemic affected online mental health communities.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19's influence on mental health discussions on Reddit, including discussion rates, activity volume, and linguistic changes.

Findings

Increased discussion of COVID-19 in mental health forums.

Rise in activity levels seeking online support during the pandemic.

Notable shifts in language and topics related to COVID-19.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, like many of the disease outbreaks that have preceded it, is likely to have a profound effect on mental health. Understanding its impact can inform strategies for mitigating negative consequences. In this work, we seek to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on mental health by examining discussions within mental health support communities on Reddit. First, we quantify the rate at which COVID-19 is discussed in each community, or subreddit, in order to understand levels of preoccupation with the pandemic. Next, we examine the volume of activity in order to determine whether the quantity of people seeking online mental health support has risen. Finally, we analyze how COVID-19 has influenced language use and topics of discussion within each subreddit.