Impact of Online Misinformation on Mental Well-Being and Nursing Practice: A systematic Review

Abstract

The Internet-Derived Information Obstruction Tendency (IDIOT) explains how cognitive biases, algorithm-driven amplification, and information overload in digital environments foster resistance to credible information. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 15 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 to examine the mechanisms, impacts, and interventions related to IDIOT, with a particular emphasis on mental health and psychiatric nursing practice. Results show that confirmation bias, belief bias, and the echo chamber effect, intensified by platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook, accelerate the spread of misinformation. These dynamics have fueled COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, increased polarization, and contributed to mental health problems including anxiety, mistrust, and stigma. Interventions such as psychological inoculation, media literacy, and artificial intelligence–based fact-checking tools demonstrated effectiveness, but challenges remain in achieving scalability and sustained behavioral change. The review highlights the unique responsibility of psychiatric nurses, especially in culturally diverse contexts like India, to counter misinformation by integrating patient education, fostering critical media evaluation skills, and applying empathy-driven strategies in clinical practice. Although the included studies employed strong methodologies, limitations such as non-random sampling, cross-sectional designs, and linguistic exclusions reduce generalizability. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies, intervention scalability, and the dual role of AI as both a driver and solution in misinformation ecosystems. This review underscores the urgent need for collaborative efforts across nursing, psychology, and technology to mitigate misinformation’s impact on mental health care and strengthen public trust in evidence-based practices.