Talkspace Article Discusses Impact of Disinformation on Mental Health

New York executive Mark Hirschhorn has served as a leader in the telemedicine health care delivery realm. As the president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer at Talkspace, Mark Hirschhorn manages an online platform that seamlessly connects licensed and trained behavioral health therapists with clients.

A blog article on the Talkspace site delved into the dangers presented by disinformation and how this can impact a person’s mental health. While misinformation and disinformation may sound the same, they are profoundly different. Often unintentional, misinformation involves passing on information that was misheard, such as items needed at the grocery store or the time of a meeting.

By contrast, disinformation is designed to deliberately mislead and includes false reports presented to the public as valid and true. Unfortunately, with a deluge of online content, much of it social media-generated, many are confused as to what is actually accurate and legitimate. An inability to cope with disinformation can trigger phobias, panic attacks, impaired memory, and obsessive compulsive disorder. In severe cases, it may prevent people from carrying on with ordinary life activities.

Fortunately, an awareness of the nature of misinformation and disinformation is increasing, and techniques to stay objectively well-informed in a digital era are being developed. Therapists, such as those at Talkspace, can often provide an effective starting point when it comes to making sense of a barrage of news from a variety of sources and developing protective strategies in daily life.