Twitter has seemingly 'fact checked' a BBC tweet that claimed a study suggested the Covid pandemic's impact on mental health was "minimal".
And people flooded online to question how valid the Brirish Medical Journal (BMJ) study actually is, sharing their own experiences. Many have shared how boredom and isolation got the better of them and their mental state throughout the pandemic restrictions.
Twitter 'fact checked' the tweet by adding context. It higlighted that the BBC article quoted the study's authors acknowledgement that the study "risks hiding important effects among disadvantaged groups“.
Twitter users can add context to tweets in attempts to identify misinformation. The added context, which Twitter says was submitted by readers, read: “The review did not look at lower-income countries, or specifically focus on children, young people & those with existing problems, the groups most likely affected, experts say, and risks hiding important effects among disadvantaged groups.“
The tweet received over 44,000 quote tweets from people sharing their mental health concerns while criticising the review's conclusion that little to no impact was made on mental health, The Mirror reports. One user heartbreakingly shared they "attempted suicide in 2021 due to mental health issues that came up over quarantine."
"I was fundamentally changed as a person by the pandemic and still haven't figured out how to recover," added someone else. "And I didn't even lose anyone close to me. Giant slap in the face to all those who had to grieve alone through it."
More criticism for the review was garnered with users saying that it was biased and ignored those that would have been affected by the pandemic most severely. Many said the headline was "misleading", and contrasted BBC's own Panorama episode which focused on the mental health crisis in young people.
Many said the headline was "insulting" to those who worked throughout the pandemic, particularly doctors, nurses and other people on the front lines of Covid or anyone who lost family members during that time. Science journalist Erica Biba added: "I appreciate [people] posting this [with] examples about how the pandemic used to make them feel bad but let's acknowledge that disabled and chronically ill people are *still* isolated and their mental health is *increasingly* worse and they don’t have the benefit of societal solidarity."
People also shared more light-hearted hobbies and odd behaviours they took on during the pandemic to ridicule the findings. Among the thousands of responses, Rachel Paige shared a throwback picture of her dog during the pandemic, who she threw a "bark mitzvah" for while living "over 3,000 miles away". She added: "Thrilled to announce I am now also planning her upcoming sweet 16."
"There was no music IRL and I didn't realise I was being filmed," said one user who shared a video of themselves covered in a massive paper bag, dancing around in their garden alone. Someone else said: "I bought 50+ copies of the exact same movie on a dead format during the pandemic but ok, go off" with a picture of their many Godzilla VHS tapes.
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Another added: "My roommates and I started a glass corner where we would throw and shatter our beer bottles after we finished them but ok."
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