Writing and COVID19 – The LIO-C study
A study to understand if and how writing could help improve wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic
LIO-C is a study run by University College London inviting English-speaking adults from around the world to test an online writing tool we have developed called, LIO-C. In this study, we are investigating whether LIO-C may be able to support wellbeing during the COVID19 pandemic. LIO-C stands for 'Let It Out - COVID19 response'.
Are you interested in taking part?
Recruitment for this study is now closed.
The world is currently experiencing unprecedented and challenging times as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries are enforcing measures such as lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolation to slow down the spread of the disease. Although these measures are necessary and important, it is likely they might have negative effects on the psychological and emotional wellbeing of the general population, and cause feelings such as worry, confusion, anger or loneliness.
Evidence suggests that writing for short periods of time on a regular basis can have positive effects on wellbeing for many people. Our research team are evaluating an online tool called LIO-C, which has been developed based on this evidence. LIO-C stands for ‘Let It Out – COVID19 response’. LIO-C provides instructions for people to write in response to certain prompts. LIO-C asks you to complete three 20-minute online writing sessions over the course of a week on the online LIO-C hub.
The aim of this study is to find out if LIO-C is effective at improving people’s wellbeing during this pandemic. This will help us to know if more people around the world should have access to LIO-C to help them cope with the challenges of the pandemic.
We will present the findings of this study to the public through accessible and informative updates on social media and blogs for relevant organisations. We will present the findings to health and social care professionals and researchers at academic meetings. We will also seek to publish papers in scientific journals. All information collected during the study will be combined to form the results, so no individual will be identified in any report or publication. If you took part in the study, you will be asked if you wish to receive a written summary of the results.
This research has been reviewed and funded by Marie Curie and by the Economic and Social Research Council, and is being conducted by researchers in the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Department at UCL. It has been reviewed and approved by the UCL Research Ethics Committee [project ID 15281/003 , 13 May 2020].
