Investigating the psycho-social effects of Coronavirus

Australia's response to the Covid-19 outbreak has been viewed among one of the most successful in the world. In comparison to countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, the Australian government introduced strict and clear intervention measures in March 2020, in order to prevent the pandemic from continuing along worrying trends, and to curb the devastating growth seen in other Covid-19-affected nations such as the UK. In comparison, the general public in the UK have regularly commented that they have felt confused and conflicted by the UK government advice.

Fast forwarding to November 2020, the two countries are experiencing a national response to Covid-19 quite differently. This can be seen in terms of a current national lockdown in the UK, but not in Australia (few Covid-19 cases currently), but also in terms of individual's compliance to Covid-19 restrictions and their subsequent well-being.

From a psychological perspective, have these different international intervention measures influenced people's fear of contracting Covid-19? Will the public in the different countries have different perceptions of control or learned helplessness over what is happening, around social support and connection? 

A study by psychologists in the UK and Australia has recently been developed to examine international differences in the physical and psychological health of people in lockdown versus non-lockdown national contexts. 

We're looking for anyone worldwide who is 18 years old+ to complete the online survey, which asks about your Coronavirus concerns, social media use, physical activity and sport participation, social connectedness / interactions, and mental health generally.

This research have been approved by the Federation University Human Research Ethics Committee (Project No: A20-039)

For participating, you will go into a random draw to win 1 of 5 AU$50 e-Gift Cards for completing the online survey.

Click here for more information and to participate.

James Rumbold PhD., CPsychol. 

Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology

Course Leader: MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology (BPS-Accredited) 

College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences, 

Sheffield Hallam University

Email: [email protected]