Brief digital intervention to increase COVID-19 vaccination among individuals with anxiety or depression
Summary
Individuals with mental health disorders are at greater risk for COVID infection, severe complications, and higher mortality. In recognition of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added mood disorders to the list of medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19, and people with mental health disorders have been prioritized for vaccine distribution. Despite increased risk of infection and severe outcomes, people with mental health disorders report greater vaccine hesitancy and lower COVID vaccination than the general population. Increased vulnerability to negative sequalae of COVID-19 and lower levels of vaccination make addressing vaccine hesitancy and uptake among people with common mental health disorders an urgent priority. Evidence-based, scalable interventions to increase vaccine uptake that can be implemented outside of organized medical care settings are particularly needed. Attitudinal inoculation is an evidence-based, scalable strategy to address misinformation and disinformation that has been shown to decrease COVID vaccine hesitancy among US adults. This proposal will evaluate the effectiveness of a brief attitudinal inoculation intervention to increase COVID vaccine uptake among individuals with anxiety or depression.