The Impact of Doomscrolling on Mental Health: A Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Negative Media Consumption, Anxiety Sensitivity and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults (18–45 Years Old)

Aliya Fisal; Richa Gupta

The Impact of Doomscrolling on Mental Health: A Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Negative Media Consumption, Anxiety Sensitivity and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults (18–45 Years Old)

Author(s)	Ms Aliya Fisal, Dr Richa Gupta
Country	India
Abstract	The present study, titled "The Impact of Doomscrolling on Mental Health: A Quantitative Study on theRelationship Between Negative Media Consumption, Anxiety Sensitivity and Generalized AnxietyDisorder Among Adults Aged 18–45 Years," aims to examine the relationship between doomscrollingbehavior and mental health among adults. Doomscrolling refers to the continuous consumption ofnegative or distressing news and social media content, which may contribute to psychological distress,anxiety, and heightened sensitivity to threatening information. The study focuses on understanding thepatterns of negative media consumption and their association with anxiety-related experiences amongadults.A quantitative research approach was adopted, and data were analyzed from 100 responses (N = 100)collected through a structured questionnaire. The collected data were examined using descriptivestatistics, mean scores, graphical representations, and correlation analysis. The findings indicated thatthe mean exploratory scores for doomscrolling-related behavior, generalized anxiety disorder-likesymptoms, and anxiety-sensitivity-related experiences were 2.78, 2.97, and 2.90, respectively, on a five-point response scale. The descriptive findings also showed variation in daily scrolling habits amongparticipants, with 28% reporting two or more hours of daily scrolling. These results provide an overviewof participants' media-consumption patterns and anxiety-related experiences.
Keywords	Doomscrolling, Mental Health, Negative Media Consumption, Anxiety Sensitivity, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Media, Adults
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-27

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The Impact of Doomscrolling on Mental Health: A Quantitative Study on the Relationship Between Negative Media Consumption, Anxiety Sensitivity and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults (18–45 Years Old)

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