Study explores the psychological profile of people who are susceptible to online health misinformation

A recent study, by Laura Scherer, PhD, and colleagues Allison Kempe, MD, MPH, Larry Allen, MD, MSH, Christopher Knoepke, PhD, MSW, LCSW, Channing Tate, PhD(c), MPH, and Dan Matlock, MD, MPH, sheds light on the psychosocial attributes of people who fall victim to health misinformation on social media. The findings, published in the journal Health Psychology, suggest that these individuals are more likely to have lower education, reduced health literacy, a distrust in the health care system, and belief in alternative medicine.