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Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Network
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Mental Health
We hope that you and your professional and social networks are keeping well in these uncertain times. Under the restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, research and practical work to reduce loneliness and social isolation and promote good mental health is now more relevant than ever.
Three of our co-investigators (Sonia Johnson, Alexandra Pitman, and David Osborn) have clinical roles as psychiatrists, and have seen the detrimental impact of social distancing on their patients’ symptoms over the last few weeks. Clinical services are adapting to the restrictions and offering what social support they can, both to existing psychiatric patients and those with emergency mental illness. The research community are also responding with rapid reviews of the evidence, and applying existing findings to developing initiatives that might buffer the impact of social distancing on new onset or worsening mental health problems. As a network we are collaborating with the NIHR Mental Health Policy Research Unit in supporting a range of projects that investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
We would like to offer our members whatever support we can to enable you to continue the important work you are doing in this area. We have been collating resources (see below) that will help mitigate the mental health effects of the social isolation measures enacted in response to COVID-19. We welcome your suggestions so that we can add these to our website. Please do keep in touch by emailing m.birken@ucl.ac.uk.
- Funding to support groups responding to the needs of communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: https://londoncommunityresponsefund.org.uk/
COVID-19 blog posts:
- Reflections on a review of the psychological impact of quarantine by Dr Alexandra Pitman and Dr Michael Bloomfield
- Blog on COVID 19 and Loneliness Crisis by network member and historian: Dr Fred Cooper
We have asked some of our network members to blog about key topics in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on loneliness, social isolation and mental health. Click on the links below:
