Journal of Health Literacy

Journal of Health Literacy

The Relationship between Media Literacy and Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Adults in the Aftermath of the 2025 Iran–Israel War

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Vahid Sabri 1
Mobin A Sokhanvar 2
Mora Ali Zareipour 2
Hamideh Safaralizadeh 2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran.
2 Assistant professor, Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran.
10.22038/jhl.2026.95187.1952
Abstract
Background and Objectives: During crises such as war, individuals’ mental health can be negatively affected. Media literacy may help people better interpret and manage information, thereby supporting their psychological well-being. This study aimed to examine the relationship between media literacy and mental health outcomes, including stress, anxiety, and depression among adults.

Materials and Methods: This Cross‑sectional study was conducted among adults selected using a multistage sampling method. Participants completed questionnaires on demographic characteristics, media literacy, and mental health based on the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and Multivariate Linear Regression.

Results: The findings showed that media literacy was significantly associated with lower levels of stress (β=−0.06, p<0.01) and anxiety (β=−0.13, p<0.01). However, no significant association was found with depression (β=−0.01, p=0.75). Women reported higher levels of stress (β=2.63, p<0.01) and depression (β=2.14, p<0.05) than men. Single individuals reported higher anxiety (β=2.43, p<0.05) and depression (β=4.13, p<0.01) compared with married participants, and divorced or widowed individuals also reported higher levels of stress (β=7.45, p<0.01), anxiety (β=4.44, p<0.05), and depression (β=6.00, p<0.01). In addition, university education was associated with lower stress (β=−3.77, p<0.05), while poorer economic status was associated with higher stress (β=1.47, p<0.05).

Conclusion: Given the association between media literacy and reduced stress and anxiety, developing and implementing educational programs to enhance media literacy in the community may serve as an effective strategy to support mental health, particularly in crisis situations such as war.
Keywords
Media literacy
Mental health
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Adults
War

Acknowledgements: We would like to thank all the women from the general population who participated in the research, and the health care workers of the health centers who helped in data collection are appreciated.


Availability of data and Materials: The data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article. Additional data can be accessed upon request from the corresponding author.


Conflicts of interest: The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.


Consent for publication: Not applicable.


Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate: This survey was carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, was approved by the Ethics Committee of Khoy University of medical sciences (Ethics code: IR.KHOY.REC.1404.026), and Written informed consent was given by all participants. 


Funding: This study was not financially supported by any organization.


Authors’ Contributions: MZ contributed to supervision, methodology, data analysis, review,and editing.  HS interpretation of the data. VS contributed to the methodology, data analysis, content analysis, interpretation of the data, review, and editing. MS contributed to project administration, data collection and analysis, and the writing of the initial draft. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript. The corresponding author had full access to all of the data in this study and takes complete responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Journal of Health Literacy

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 October 2026