Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 Hoax on the Mental Health of Millennial Moms

Hoaxes keep existing during this COVID-19 pandemic. They are indicated to be capable of heightening anxiety levels. Current works of literature about hoax-health impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic are still limited. Millennial, young generations, who are attached to the Internet technology, has the highest anxiety level. Millennial women or moms are already familiar with gadgets. They are surely exposed to hoaxes during this pandemic. Moms are the center of family defense. COVID-19 hoax influences these millennial moms’ mental health. Therefore, it is important to be studied because it contributes to mental health literature during this pandemic. This research applied a qualitative method. The data were taken from an online survey and processed by thematic analysis techniques. The findings showed that the greatest impacts of COVID-19 hoaxes on moms’ mental health were health-institutional distrust and apparatus-government distrust. Thus, it led to a lack of cooperation to promote the protocol and influenced the COVID-19 pandemic preventive efforts. Keywords: hoax, anxiety, pandemic, qualitative survey