Worldwide study on physical and mental health effects of Covid-19 is underway

Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Jun 8 2020

A worldwide study looking at the effect of Covid-19 on physical and mental health is underway.

Over 50k people have taken part so far in the online survey, which will measure the impact of the virus over an 18-month period.

The survey looks at how people have been feeling in the last two weeks and how they felt within the two weeks before the pandemic.

Dr Trevor Thompson from the University of Greenwich is helping to analyze the UK data, which is being collected by ten scientists at seven universities including Greenwich, Oxford and King's College London.

He said: "The immediate aim is to see who has been affected most by the virus, in terms of wellbeing and to identify ways in which the UK population may have been uniquely affected.

"The long-term aim is to look at the most vulnerable to see how they can be helped in future pandemics. This is a chance for us all to contribute to something which affects the whole planet."

The Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT) is taking place in over 100 countries that have been affected by Covid-19 and is set to become one of the biggest such studies ever.

It is endorsed by the World Psychiatric Association and aims to identify risk and protective factors for physical and mental health problems, and to guide strategies for remedying these problems.