As lockdowns emerged at the start of the COVID 19 pandemic and in person interaction had to be put on hold, many turned to virtual tools to interact with friends and family and stay connected. In fact, the Pew Research Center estimates that nearly 80% of Americans have used video chat tools during the pandemic with some degree of regularity.
The need to stay connected at a distance was even more crucial given the rise in mental health conditions that resulted from the pandemic. In particular, there was a sharp rise in people reporting feeling symptoms of depression and anxiety. Specifically, one report conducted by the CDC in 2020 estimates 31% of respondents to a survey experienced signs of depression and anxiety, nearly double pre pandemic rates.
Feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can also worsen mental well being and increases the prevalence of depression and anxiety, were also higher during the pandemic, particularly among young adults.
A new study published in Frontiers in Digital Health suggests that the use of interactive video chat technologies, when used effectively, could help reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation and improve mental wellbeing overall.
Researchers recruited participants via an online survey. Participants were then split into two groups and asked to participate in two variations of an “entertaining astronomy lesson.” One version was a live video experience with strangers with interactive elements and the other was a very similar virtual experience, but without the interactive pieces. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires on their mental well-being both before and after the virtual interaction, and then again four weeks after
Researchers found that following the live interactive experience, participants saw an overall decrease in feelings of loneliness and great positive affective feelings compared to participants in the non-interactive session.
The pandemic notwithstanding, researchers believe their findings indicate the potential of video chat interaction to improve mental well-being at a large scale.
