There are increasing concerns about people’s mental health and wellbeing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adjusting to the lockdown measures has had a serious impact on people’s ability to work and socialise as normal, leaving people feeling isolated and worried about the future. Some individuals will also have been affected by illness and bereavement.
Prioritising mental health during this difficult time is important for everyone. Below is a list of resources and tools from around the world that discuss approaches relevant to responding to the crisis.
General resources
- Mind: Coronavirus and your wellbeing – tips on a variety of topics, including dealing with self-isolation.
- Every Mind Matters: Mental wellbeing while staying at home.
- Psychology Tools: Free Guide To Living With Worry And Anxiety Amidst Global Uncertainty (available as a free download on Psychology Tools by Matt Whalley).
- Psychology Tools: Critical Illness, Intensive Care, And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. (free download).
- Dr Russ Harris: Face COVID: How to respond effectively to the Corona Crisis – by Dr Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, a resource based on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) available as a text version and as a youtube video.
- Intensive Care Society: wellbeing resources for members of the public with relatives in intensive care.
- Compassionatewellbeing.com: this website run by Hannah Gilbert has a list of Resources for challenging times informed by a compassion-based approach to trauma.
- ISTSS: resources for the public from the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies.
- BPS: coronavirus resources from the British Psychological Society.
- US Department of Veterans Affairs: Covid Coach, an app (iOS and android) for managing emotional wellbeing during this time.
Resources on children and young people
- Every Mind Matters: Looking after a child or young person’s mental health
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and families: Emerging Evidence
- UK Trauma Council: Coronavirus and Trauma: Implications for Children and Young People.
- The National Child Trauma Network (US): Covid-19 Resources
Resources for medical staff and care-workers
- NHS Scotland: NES have a suite of Covid-19-related resources which are available through their TURAS self-learning platform. These include wellbeing tools for members of the social and medical care workforce and advice on discussing bereavement. (The Scottish National Wellbeing Hub also offers complimentary resources.)
- US Department of Veterans Affairs: Reducing work-related stress.
- The Black Dog Institute (Australia): Coronavirus resources for health professionals.
- Intensive Care Society: wellbeing resources for medical staff working in intensive care units.
Resources for mental health clinicians
- ISTSS: resources for clinicians.
- Covid Trauma Response Working Group: resources for clinicians coordinating psychosocial responses.
Resources for journalists and communication specialists
- Dart Centre Europe: a resource list with practical tools for journalists covering the pandemic, including advice on interviewing and self-care.
- Reuters Institute: Communications in the Corona Crisis: Lessons for the Second Wave – a report on how the media can remain a trusted source of information.
- First Draft News: advice on information ethics and countering disinformation.
Research and policy
- ESTSS: Recommendations on Mental Health and Psychosocial Care during Pandemics, guidance from the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies.
- IASC: In March, the UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee published these interim guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support.
- EJPT: Articles that reference Covid in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.
- Covid Trauma Response Working Group: reserach and guidance.
- MHPSS: A tool that aggregates response resources from around the world.
