The Effects of changes in online activity-pattern on mental health in different stages of COVID-19 pandemics in Indonesia and Thailand

Abstract

A global health emergency known as a pandemic was declared by World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020 due to the emerging cases of a new infectious virus called COVID-19. Travel restrictions are applied to prevent the spread of this virus. People’s behaviour is also affected due to this constraint. Their online activities are increasing since then. Some argue that mental health could be affected by those external factors. This study explored the correlation between online activitypattern on mental health in Indonesia and Thailand based on three different stages of COVID-19 using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This study found out that online activities, as well as behavioural changes and sociodemographic characteristics, have significant correlations to a person’s mental health depending on the type of characteristics and activities performed. Different correlation between online activity-pattern and mental health are occurred between the Indonesian and Thailand model. Higher use of social media and online shopping related activities correlates with a lower mental health condition in the Indonesian model. Whereas in the Thailand model, online gaming and online food delivery related activities correlates with a higher mental health condition in the Thailand model.