“We are conducting arguably the largest psychological experiment ever,”wrote clinical psychologist and stress expert Dr Elke Van Hoof in April 2020, when 2.6 billion people around the world were plunged into some form of lockdown or quarantine due to COVID-19.1 One year on, the mental health impact of the pandemic and its control measures is just beginning to be seen.
According to a recently published study of eight countries, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with “highly significant levels of psychological distress,” with soaring rates of stress, anxiety and depression being reported in the general population.2 This is bad news for physical health too, as stress, anxiety and depression are known to wreak havoc on the immune system.3
To coincide with Stress Awareness Month, we’ve put together a guide to some simple strategies
