APA Communications staff continue to work with the news media to highlight the impact psychology can have on various aspects of the pandemic, from the challenge of accessing therapy via telepsychology to tips for coping with uncertainty and the potential for social distancing to increase substance use. In the past three weeks alone, APA Communications staff have responded to at least 128 media requests and have sent story pitches to dozens more. To date, we have tracked at least 1,900 articles featuring APA experts, reaching an estimated potential audience of more than 5.3 billion people. Media mentions of note since the coronavirus first appeared include The Wall Street Journal, three articles in The New York Times, six articles in The Washington Post, three articles in USA Today, at least six articles on CNN, two articles in Time, The Atlantic, U.S. News and World Report, two articles on ABC News, two articles on NBC News, CNBC and Global News Canada.
APA Senior Director of Practice, Research and Policy Lynn Bufka, PhD, and APA Director for Clinical Research and Quality Vaile Wright, PhD, were featured in the bulk of the coverage. To date, Bufka has appeared in at least 420 articles and Wright has appeared in at least 1,140.
APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, appeared on C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal”opens in new window live on Saturday, March 21, to answer questions about dealing with stress and coping with a variety of mental health issues associated with the pandemic. Evans also co-authored an op-ed in The Hill: Failure to address coronavirus mental health issues will prolong impactopens in new window.
Here are some samples of APA staff and member experts featured in the news:
- As pandemic and stay-at-home orders spread, so does alcohol consumptionopens in new window
The Washington Post - Is social isolation getting to you? Here’s how to know – and what experts say to doopens in new window
The Washington Post - We all want to know how the coronavirus pandemic ends. How do we cope with uncertainty?opens in new window
USA Today - Michigan closes Up North recreation area after surge in visitorsopens in new window
Detroit Free Press - Medicare and Medicaid patients get temporary access to telemedicine amid coronavirus crisis, but challenges remainopens in new window
ABC News - 7 ways to set boundaries when working from homeopens in new window
NBC News - Therapy during the coronavirus pandemic: ‘This is new for all of us’opens in new window
The Seattle Times - How many Americans have coronavirus? New Reuters poll might offer a hintopens in new window
The New York Times - They already had an anxiety disorder. Now comes a pandemicopens in new window
The New York Times - Teens are discovering a cure for coronavirus anxiety: Walks. No phones allowedopens in new window
The Washington Post - How to deal with productivity-related anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to expertsopens in new window
CNBC - Some people just won’t stay home during a pandemic. Six reasons may explain whyopens in new window
CNN - Take a breath: How the simple act of meditative breathing helps us copeopens in new window
CNN - Miss the gym? From yoga and HIIT to dancing — stream these classes for freeopens in new window
Today.com
APA’s “Speaking of Psychology” podcast has also posted three special episodes on the issue, featuring APA fellow Baruch Fischhoff, PhD, and Lynn Bufka, PhD. The first episode was featured in an article on Business Insideropens in new window, a website that reaches more than 8 million unique visitors each month.
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