Opportunity to take part in national COVID-19 research

University College London is running a study into the psychological and social effects of Covid-19 in the UK and is looking for people across the country to take part.

Over 80,000 people are already taking part in the study but University College is looking for more participants. They are looking for adults who are happy to take part by answering a 10-minute online survey now and then answering a shorter follow-up survey once a week while social isolation measures remain in place.

The results are being used to understand the effects of the virus and social distancing measures on mental health and loneliness in the UK and to inform government advice and decisions.

Get involved.

University College is also keen for people to spread the word about the study so tell your friends and family. They have sent us the following FAQs about the project.

What happens to the data?

The data people provide are analysed anonymously (so people can’t be identified) and provided into weekly dashboards for cabinet office, wider departments of government (including DHSC and DfE), Public Health England, NHS England, and mental health organisations and charities.

In line with an ‘open science’ approach during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reports are also made publicly available for members of the public to see what is happening at www.marchnetwork.org/research.

The data are then being used to inform what advice is given to people, and what support is available, whether that is formal mental health service support or other support such as from telephone lines (such as Samaritans) and voluntary organisations.

The data are also being used to inform decisions such as the length of lockdown. These are all decisions that directly affect individuals’ daily lives, so taking part can give individuals a chance to say what challenges they are facing.

Is the study ethics approved and GDPR compliant?

This study has full ethical and data protection approved and is GDPR compliant, all hosted through secure servers and data safe havens. It is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Nuffield Foundation (two of the largest scientific funders on medicine and society respectively).

Get involved.