A new online study has been launched to find out how the easing of lockdown restrictions is affecting people’s mental health.
A recent survey by mental health charity Mind found that the majority of adults and young people with existing mental health problems reported worse mental health during lockdown. However, there hasn’t been much research on the impact of lockdown easing and how it is affecting people’s mental health.
The study, led by the University of Hertfordshire in partnership with the University of Cambridge and the University of Bologna, will assess how people are adjusting to the emergence from lockdown, their fears and changes in behaviours or thoughts. It will initially run for a few weeks, with the aim of developing as an international study.
Naomi Fineberg, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Hertfordshire said: “We suspect that a substantial number of people may find it hard to adjust to the lifting of lockdown restrictions and that this is linked to their cognitive flexibility. Our previous research shows that cognitive inflexibility is common in some healthy individuals, for example, who describe themselves as ‘perfectionists’ and in those who have relatives with OCD-related disorders. A greater understanding of these adjustment difficulties and their root causes will pave the way for developing ways to help people cope better”
The team is looking for volunteers to take part in the study. Filling in the survey will only take 15-20 minutes or probably less. If you are interested, please visit: [https://herts.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_50eareRWhwX9f01].
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