Researchers from the Trinity Centre for Global Health have released the first wave of the Irish COVID-19 Psychological Survey; a multi-wave study running throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to better understand how people are responding, understanding, and coping with the pandemic.

The Trinity research team collaborated with researchers from Maynooth University, Ulster University, Edinburgh Napier University, and University of Sheffield.

More than 1,000 adult citizens of the Republic of Ireland completed the survey, which was launched on March 31; 31 days after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported here.

The survey was unveiled 19 days after An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced sweeping restrictions on the movement of people, and two days after Irish residents were required to stay at home.

Mental health

Participants answered questions about their current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, their mental health, and their views on COVID-19 vaccination.

Initial results suggest that mental health problems are common; 41% of people reported feeling lonely, 23% reported clinically meaningful levels of depression, 20% reported clinically meaningful levels of anxiety, and 18% reported clinically meaningful levels of post-traumatic stress.

Dr Frédérique Vallières, director of Trinity College’s Centre for Global Health, said: "Despite encouraging results in terms of people’s knowledge on COVID-19, we further found that attitudes towards the uptake of a potential COVID-19 vaccine to be worryingly low, with only 65% of people indicating that they would accept a vaccine for themselves and their children.

"One-in-four people did say however that they might accept a vaccine for themselves and their child, compared to one-in-ten people who said they would not. A better understanding of why people might be hesitant to accept a COVID-19 vaccine, if and when it is developed is required."

Prolonged quarantine

The second wave of the COVID-19 Psychological Survey is scheduled to commence prior to May 5th 2020. The research team will examine what effect prolonged quarantine and physical distancing measures have on people’s mental health and well-being, and what can be done to safeguard the mental health of the nation during this and any future health emergency. The research team seek to understand more about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.

Speaking about the importance of the survey, Dr Vallières said: "The COVID-19 Psychological Study will help us better understand how the necessary measures that have been put in place to ensure our physical health, also impact on our mental health, as an equally important component of health and wellbeing.

"The research team are currently preparing multiple scientific papers and will release these findings as soon as possible. The findings of this next wave of the study will be delivered next month."