CITATION
Holmes, E. A., O’Connor, R. C., Perry, V. H., Tracey, I., Wessely, S., Arseneault, L., … Bullmore, E. (2020). Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6), 547–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30168-1
SUMMARY
This article provides a timely account of how mental health professionals from across disciplines can utilize their respective skillsets to clarify (and address) the impact of COVID-19. While the information reported in the cited article is derived from work in the United Kingdom, I am hopeful that the information contained within this article will still be relevant for members of our Division.
In this position paper, the authors posed a number of empirical questions related to life both during and (eventually) after the COVID pandemic. These questions were informed by input provided from a panel of representatives from multiple stakeholder groups, as well as survey data collected from more than 2,000 participants, and interview data collected from more than 1,000 participants. The authors link to a detailed and comprehensive (open access) report summarizing these results (link: https://tinyurl.com/ybbcoje5), which I imagine will likely be of interest to many in the Division. While these authors do pay specific attention to the needs of individuals with disabilities and other health conditions that increase risk of serious COVID-related outcomes, this discussion is somewhat limited.
Thematically, research questions posed in this paper focused on addressing issues of adherence to public health interventions, identifying the broad impact of COVID-19 as a stressor (e.g., isolation, media exposure), and clarifying the psychosocial and cognitive late effects of COVID-19 infection. All of these topics fall under the purview of rehabilitation psychology. Review of the data included in the comprehensive addendum indicates that concern regarding isolation and broad psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, depression) were among the most common concerns cited by study participants. Other data included in that report indicate that staying busy and engaged in meaningful social relationships alongside conscious monitoring of information intake (e.g., news), finding and adhering to a daily routine, and implementing self-guided interventions, like relaxation or mindfulness meditation, were all described as helpful in mitigating the psychosocial impact of COVID.
I CHOSE THIS ARTICLE for two reasons. First, I thought the information included in this article might be helpful for other members of Division 22, especially those interested in using their training as scientists to help address this ongoing pandemic. As this crisis continues to unfold, there will likely be a number of opportunities for research conducted by rehabilitation professionals to meaningfully impact policy, and I thought this paper might be a helpful guide for those so inclined. Second, while I found this paper’s coverage of how COVID-19 impacts individuals with disabilities and related health conditions to be light, I am interested to hear others’ perspective on this issue. Relatedly, I am interested to know if members of the Division have thoughts on additional rehabilitation- and/or disability-focused research priorities (specifically related to psychosocial and cognitive functioning) that might complement those outlined in this paper.
THIS MONTH’S REHABILITATION SCIENCE SPOTLIGHT was chosen by Ted Allaire, M.S., a doctoral candidate within the clinical psychology PhD program at Eastern Michigan University and research associate in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan. He is an affiliate of the Division 22 Science Committee and serves as both Chair of the Student Leadership Network (SLN) Committee and as Student Representative on the Division’s Executive Committee.