在压力下：减轻压力的模因？
Research suggests that memes — a popular social media phenomenon among young people — can be beneficial for people living with mental health issues, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on.
People who looked at COVID-related memes during the pandemic experienced stress-busting benefits.
StocksyWhile Jade Perraud, 24, of Montreal, self-isolated in her apartment with her golden retriever during theCOVID-19 pandemic，，，，she passed the time by sharing COVID-related memes on TikTok with her friends.
“I've been living alone this entire time, so I spent more time on my phone and more time connecting with others, and that included memes,” Perraud says.
Perraud和她的朋友并不是唯一的。在2020年Covid-19的大流行期间，许多千禧一代和Z世代成员如Perraud（Perraud）在这两个群体之间的风口沟中，形成了在线社区，分享了Covid-19-19-Memes。（根据皮尤研究中心的说法，Z世代包括1997年至2012年之间出生的人，千禧一代包括1981年至1996年之间出生的人）。
One example is the popular Facebook groupZoom Memes for Self Quaranteens，这是由大学生在COVID-19大流行期间参加在线课程时成立的，当时不是一个人的课程。
为什么Covid-19-19模因在大流行期间帮助人们应对
COVID-19 meme sharing at the very least gave people something to do during the pandemic when workplaces, restaurants, bars, gyms, and other public places had shut their doors to the public. But new research suggests that memes may have played a role in keeping people sane, too. Astudy published in the journalPsychology of Popular Mediain 2021suggests that COVID-19 memes, to a certain extent, may have supported personal efforts to cope with COVID-19-relatedbob bet体育 。
The study included 748 people. Researchers found that participants who looked at memes with COVID-related captions had stronger information processing and decreased levels of COVID-related stress than those who looked at meme captions that were unrelated to COVID-19. And among the study participants, stronger information processing was tied to an increased ability to cope.
查看模因也与更高的高度ls of self-reported humor and increased positive feelings compared with non-meme content on social media.
模因的治疗方法是什么？
What is it about memes that helps people feel better throughout the pandemic? “I think it's just a way for us to be creative and to connect with other people by sharing our experience, and then knowing we're not alone by seeing ‘Okay, other people are struggling with this during the pandemic,” says杰西卡·迈里克（Jessica Myrick），博士，，，，the lead author of the study and an associate professor of communications at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania.
The popularity of COVID-19 memes has also likely helped normalize the mental health struggles many have faced throughout the pandemic. Perraud says she’s able to be more open about her mental health online than she is at her job in career services at a major Canadian university.
“I can openly say ‘I'm depressed all the time,’ but then I forget sometimes when I talk to people in my life that not everyone jokes about that or is depressed,” says Perraud.
The mental health impact of COVID-19 memes could explain in part why online meme-sharing forums are so popular, according to Dr. Myrick. When people find something that makes them feel good, they tend to be more motivated to seek out a community of people with the same interest.
“One of the main purposes of experiencing positive emotions is to build social capital, to motivate us to want to connect to other people and to be in groups of people, so positive emotions are really important for building a community. That's how we connect with each other,” says Myrick.
Beyond the Pandemic: Memes and Mental Health Conditions
Using memes to cope with difficult emotions like stress — and even mental health conditions likedepressionand焦虑- 不是大流行的独特之处。例如，生活在抑郁症的佩雷德（Perraud）发现模因帮助她应对成为本科生的压力。
One popular source of such memes is the account@MyTherapistsayson Instagram, which has nearly seven million followers. In the comment section of each post, users engage with memes aboutneeding therapy，，，，经常发生情绪崩溃，，，，or mental health issues likeseasonal depression。
研究表明，某些类型的模因可能对患有抑郁症或焦虑等心理健康状况的人有帮助。一个研究于2020年1月发表Scientific Reportsfound that, compared with people without depression, those who have depression are more likely to have a positive response to negatively oriented memes, or memes with a humorous take on a negative situation or experience.
一个ccording to the researchers, this was likely due to perceived peer support from others with similar symptoms.
“焦虑和沮丧的人经常转向社交媒体，以作为社会交流和适应不确定情况的一种手段，这是在当前大流行的背景下证明的。”Umair Akram, PhD，，，，the corresponding author of the study and a lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University in the United Kingdom.
More Than Entertainment: Memes Can Help People With Mental Health Issues Come Forward
While the main purpose of memes is usually to make people laugh, memes can also help people be more open with others around them about the fact that they may be struggling with their mental health.
布鲁克·纳斯利（Brooke Knisley）是纽约市31岁的喜剧作家，他与traumatic brain injury，发现模因（无论是专注于Covid-19还是精神健康等严重的问题）都可以是良好的破冰船。
肯尼斯利说：“这是一个很好的应对机制，对这些沉重的话题开玩笑和模因是开放对话的一种手段。”
Sharing a meme can be easier for some people than telling family members or friends outright about mental health struggles, saysNatalie Pennington, PhD，，，，an assistant professor of communication studies at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas.
彭宁顿博士说：“越来越多的模因和技术促进了更多的公开讨论，因此，有人分享一个笑话可能会更容易说：'嘿，这也会影响我。’
有关的：6 Ways You Can Help a Loved One With Depression
模因有缺点吗？
彭宁顿说，模因虽然并不是唯一的答案。例如，模因不应是缺乏负担得起的心理保健的创可贴解决方案。
彭宁顿说：“您也有很多人无法获得心理健康治疗，无法接受治疗，没有人离线交谈。”“ [模因对连接社区而言非常好，但[他们]无助于解决某人的问题。”
一个nd memes have drawbacks. Some people have turned to memes to spread misinformation on the internet, especially related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Myrick警告人们在与COVID-19模因互动时要积极意识到，并评估他们所包含的任何健康信息是否准确。例如，暗示的模因疫苗causeautism是虚假的，对自闭症社区有害。
“我认为我们要考虑为什么要共享内容，为什么要查看内容，为什么要吸引内容并意识到不同内容的情绪状态，这一点非常重要，因此我们确保我们不喜欢迈里克说：“分享也许不一定是正确的。”
While Knisley is a fan and creator of memes, she also has concerns about memes containing inaccurate information or even triggering people with mental health concerns. Knisley emphasizes that people have personal responsibility for the memes they create and share.
“I think people should take a moment to assess before they put a joke out into the world, what is the overall harm of this [joke],” Knisley says.
Beyond Memes: What’s Next if You Need Help?
While memes may help people find brief relief from stress and other negative emotions, they’re not a replacement for therapy or other forms of mental health support.
如果您在抑郁，焦虑或其他心理健康问题上挣扎，寻求专业帮助是明智的。您的选项可以包括：
- 滑尺疗法一些精神卫生专业人员根据人的收入提供了用于治疗服务的滑动费用，这可以使治疗更容易获得和负担得起。
- Online therapyVirtual therapy apps such asTalkspace and BetterHelp通常，比传统的面对面疗法的成本更低，并且涉及更灵活的计划选择。
- 面对面或虚拟支持小组Organizations like the一个nxiety and Depression Association of America提供支持小组清单。
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