Useful Resources on COVID and Behavioural Science

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Below is a curated list of useful papers and links. It is not an official document in any sense and not intended to provide recommendations. This list is compiled by Professor Liam Delaney and Emma Watson from UCD Geary Institute.  Please send suggestions to Liam.Delaney@ucd.ie 

Contents

Recent updates

Overview

COVID-19 Collections

Behaviour Science

Behavioural insights and public policy:

Behavioural Science/ COVID-19:

Ireland

Target Behaviours

Nonpharmaceutical interventions

Social Distancing

Quarantine

Hand washing

Working from home:

Behaviour Change interventions

Targeted

Messaging

Disaster and emergency literature/ behaviour

Contact tracing

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Healthcare Workers

Economics

Risk perception and behaviour

Risk perception/ COVID-19

Misinformation

Communication

Guidelines

Trust

Social Marketing

Communication tools/ platforms

Data Collection

SMS

Case studies

Vulnerable Groups

Migrant health during COVID-19

Recent updates

• Rapid review for technical considerations of technology/ COVID
• COVID-19 and the policy sciences: initial reactions and perspectives
• Analyzing situational awareness through public opinion to predict adoption of social distancing amid pandemic COVID‐19
• John Hopkins Guide-- Public Health Principles for a Phased Reopening During COVID-19: Guidance for Governors
• Survey data from Italy -- Role of expectations and duration on compliance with social distancing
• BMJ editorial- Should the public wear facemasks?
• Mitigating COVID-19 With Lockdowns : A Possible Exit Strategy
• BMJ opinion piece on the two psychologies and Coronavirus
• Study modelling cyclic exit strategy for lockdown to suppress COVID and allow economic activity

Overview

• ECDC COVID-19 rapid risk assessment guidelines (Updated 25th March)
• Interdisciplinary review: Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response
• ESRI review paper -- Using behavioural science to help fight the coronavirus
• ECDC Guidelines for the use of non-pharmaceutical measures to delay and mitigate the impact of 2019-nCoV
• The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) provides scientific and technical advice to support government (UK)decision-makers during emergencies. Regularly updated.
• World Economic Forum strategic intelligence map 
• UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19

COVID-19 Collections

• Cochrane special Coronavirus collection
• Coronavirus: Psychological Perspectives-- The British Psychological Society webpage on the psychologist magazine to elicit perspectives from psychologists on promoting healthy behaviours in this area.
• Coronavirus Information Center -- Elsevier’s expert-curated information for the research and health community.
• Imperial College London and YouGov tracking behavioural responses to COVID-19, comparing compliance behaviour across countries (see dashboard)

Behaviour Science

Behavioural insights and public policy:

• MINDSPACE is a UK Government report that provides frameworks for using behaviour change in public policy.
• The Behavioural Government report (2018) outlines how to use behavioural insights to improve decision making in government.
• The Behaviour Change Wheel is a synthesis of behaviour change theories and frameworks used to design and evaluate behaviour change interventions and policies.
• Achieving behaviour change: A guide for local government and partners: Useful summary of Susan Michie approach (BCW/COMB/APEASE)
• Susan Michie on opportunities and challenges in translating evidence to inform policy and population behaviour 

Behavioural Science/ COVID-19:

• Behavioural strategies for reducing covid-19 transmission in the general population - The BMJ--Opinion piece by UCL Prof Susan Michie provides useful and timely advice about how the science of behavioural change could inform strategies to reduce the spread of COVID
• The Behavioral Insights Team COVID-19 -- contains useful information on behavioural communications approaches, including details of how to link into their efforts.

• Open letter signed by 100s of people in UK behavioural science community calling for appropriate use of behavioural science evidence in response (see also a follow-up article clarifying their rationale for questioning evidence on behavioural fatigue and cited Lancet review on country-based mitigation measures).
• A list of Social and Behavioural Scientists citing expertise in COVID19 set up by Jay Van Bavel (NYU).
• A systematic review of Behaviour Change Models for Infectious Disease Transmission
• WHO tool for behavioural insights on COVID-19 -- research protocol and materials
• COVID-19 Snapshot MOnitoring (COSMO)-Monitoring behavioural insights related to COVID-19

Ireland

• See resource page outlining Irish policy response to COVID-19
• Updated measures in response to COVID-19 (Tuesday 24 March) (Dept. of Health, Ireland)
• HSPC report-- Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Ireland
• Rapid Response Research and Innovation Funding (Science Foundation Ireland,  Enterprise Ireland, and IDA)

Target Behaviours

Nonpharmaceutical interventions

• Imperial College paper on impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions to reduce COVID-19 mortality and health care demand -- modelling supports social distancing of population, along with various social isolation and quarantine measures
• Pre-Emptive Low-Cost Social Distancing and Enhanced Hygiene Implemented before Local COVID-19 Transmission Could Decrease the Number and Severity of Cases.

Social Distancing

• ESRI experimental study on motivating social distancing
• US study on Political Beliefs affect Compliance with COVID-19 Social Distancing Orders
• Survey study on willingness to distance during COVID-19
• HSE release guidance to support premises in implementing social distancing
• Updated (23/02/20): ECDC social distancing guidelines in response to COVID-19 (including considerations for implementation and impact evaluation) (
• BMJ opinion discusses should we wave goodbye to the handshake?  
• WHO media briefing reframe ‘social distancing’ as ‘physical distancing’-- similar to recommendations from Stanford to practice ‘distant socializing’
• HSE clarify social distancing message-- connect socially, disconnect physically
• Study on individual differences in accepting restrictions to fight COVID-19
• Lancet article on scientific and ethical basis for social-distancing interventions against COVID-19: “effectiveness and societal impact of quarantine and social distancing will depend on the credibility of public health authorities, political leaders, and institutions”.
• Study indicates empathy promotes physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Quarantine

• Cochrane rapid review on effectiveness of quarantine to control COVID-19
• Psychosocial impacts of quarantine during disease outbreaks and interventions that may help to relieve strain.
• Lancet review on the psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it -- preparation could be used to reduce impact of boredom/ lack of supplies/ financial anxiety
• Public Health England ‘stay at home’ guidelines and illustration for households possibly infected.
• How to improve adherence to quarantine- a rapid review
• ECDC Infection prevention and control in the household management of people with suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Hand washing

• Review of handwashing literature from leading behavioural scientist in the area of handwashing. The author is involved in the WASH project.

• WHO #safehands challenge -- social media/ role modelling to increase awareness of and capability to follow hand-washing guidelines

Working from home

• NHS tool to generate isolation sick note-- an example of removing barriers to increase compliance

Behaviour Change interventions

• Environmental restructuring--TIPPME framework --choice architecture for behaviour interventions in micro-environments
• A conceptual and empirical review by Marteau of choice architecture for changing population-level health (interventions altering properties/ placement)

• A systematic review of using social norms for behavioural interventions.
• Review of social influence literature focusing on compliance and conformity (Cialdini & Goldstein)

Targeted

• NHS targeted SMS to vulnerable populations
• CDC targeted intervention at smokers during COVID-19

Messaging

• The effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioural intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Disaster and emergency literature/ behaviour

• This paper on facilitating psychosocial resilience in the public in emergencies looks at behaviour in disaster/ emergency contexts from a social identity perspective.
• Review and synthesis of the mass panic and disaster literature in relation to human behaviour

Contact tracing

• Efficacy of contact tracing for COVID-19 containment
• Public activities preceding the onset of COVID-19: Exposure to potentially crowded places, public transport and to individuals with a cold increases risk

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Daily emotional wellbeing during COVID-19- day reconstruction method (UCD)
• Summary of key mental health and psychosocial support considerations in relation to COVID-19 (Inter-Agency Standing Committee)
• CDC guidelines for coping with daily life and managing mental health during COVID-19
• Public Health England: Guidance for mental health and wellbeing aspects of COVID-19
• WHO mental health and psychosocial considerations during COVID-19
• Health, distress, and life satisfaction of people one-month into COVID-19 outbreak in China-- highlights those who have to suspend work and those usually very active as vulnerable to negative effects on wellbeing
• Mental health services required for healthcare workers in COVID-19
• Psychological interventions for people affected by COVID-19-- importance of counselling telephone helplines/ organisation and management
• WHO guidelines on COVID-19 and violence against women- what the healthcare system/ sector can do

Healthcare Workers

• Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during COVID-19-- BMJ analysis

Economics

• This working paper shows how comms approaches might be tested in real-time, in this case showing how communication of accurate mortality rates might impact on wider measures of fear and economic sentiment
• This paper on social cohesion vs COVID-19 compares social protection/ stimulus measures

Risk perception and behaviour

• Risk Perceptions and Behaviour in the context of emerging infectious diseases -- series of research papers
• Public perception and behaviours during the Dioxin Crisis in Ireland in 2008/2009-- the UCD Geary Institute tracked.
• Demographic and attitudinal determinants of protective behaviours during pandemic-- open communication and greater trust in authorities facilitates adoption of precautionary behaviours and avoidance behaviours

Risk perception/ COVID-19

• Cross-sectional study on perception and behavioural responses in UK during COVID
• Recent study on risk perception and protective behaviours during early stages of COVID-19 in US
• Rapid review of impact of unplanned school closures on children’s social contact-- influences risk perception compliance of parents and children
• Community based cohort approach to monitoring public perception and response

Misinformation

• Fact checking tool to check reliability of health claims targeting misinformation
• Recent experimental study-- Nudge people to think about accuracy reduces spread of COVID-19 misinformation
• European Council tackle misinformation 
• Study examining misinformation across social media during COVID-19

Communication

Guidelines

• Risk Communication for Public Health Emergencies useful review drawing on research from disaster literature with lots on messaging.
• COMMUNICATION FOR BEHAVIOURAL IMPACT (COMBI) -- WHO toolkit for behavioural and social communication in outbreak response
• WHO guidelines for communicating risk in public health emergency
• Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)--an integrative model for See table 2. Example of social media being used to implement and adapt CERC model.
• WHO guidelines addressing social stigma associated with COVID-19

Trust

• Study indicates communicating uncertainty around facts does not undermine public trust -- implications for COVID comms

    Social Marketing

• European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: Social marketing guide for public health programme managers and practitioners
• Jones et al – Preparation without Panic: A Comprehensive Social Marketing Approach to Planning for a Potential Pandemic. A piece based on an NHRMC funded project from a few years ago looking at how to prepare behaviour change responses to a pandemic.
• French and Gordon (2019) Strategic Social Marketing: For Behaviour and Social Change. London: Sage: - A text presenting the latest concepts, frameworks, tools and thinking on using social marketing for behaviour and social change.
• French and Gordon (2019) The Strategic Social Marketing Intervention Mix - A broad framework mapping behaviour change intervention tools (also attached).
• Effective Communication in Outbreak Management: development of an evidence-based tool for Europe

Communication tools/ platforms

• WHO has launched health messaging service partnering with Whatsapp and Facebook
• UK Government using SMS to alert people on restrictions
• WHO partners with FIFA-- role modelling for message delivery

Data Collection

SMS

• Pros and cons of SMS surveys
• Use of SMS-Based Surveys in the Rapid Response to the Ebola Outbreak in Liberia: Opening Community Dialogue
• Using SMS services to report local cases back to central HQ – Paper title: “Daily zero-reporting for suspect Ebola using short message service (SMS) in Guinea-Bissau”
• SMS surveys for disease outbreak surveillance - Book chapter on using
• Missing Person Alerts: Does Repeated Exposure Decrease Their Effectiveness? --might be relevant to whether SMS reminders to wash hands etc. might decrease in effectiveness over time

Case studies

• Kantar China page contains useful information on how China adapted during the course of the virus.

Vulnerable Groups

• CDC guidance and preparedness checklist for nursing homes and long term healthcare facilities
• Editorial on redefining vulnerability in COVID-19

Migrant health during COVID-19

• HSE National Inclusion Office has some resources on migrant health and COVID -19 (but not very targeted)
• European commission- Covids impact on migrant communities
• Lancet The neglected health of international migrant workers in the COVID-19 epidemic

Gender

• OECD paper on Women at the core of the fight against COVID-19 crisis

Education

• COVID-19: Exacerbating educational inequalities?
• Learning remotely when schools close-insights from Pisa