Psychology & Corona
Practical reports on specific topics
January 2022
The vaccination campaign has been very successful in Belgium, with the vast majority of adults being vaccinated and getting a booster vaccine nowadays. Many adults voluntary choose to be vaccinated and the personal endorsement of this decision indeed appears a robust predictor of vaccination acceptance (Schmitz et al., 2021). At the same time, the question raises what a next step may involve: should a vaccination pass be introduced or is it more desirable to move towards mandatory vaccination in specific subgroups or the entire population? Below, various psychological advantages and disadvantages of mandatory vaccination are discussed, which lead to a synthesizing conclusion at the end.
March
The idea of a vaccination passport is being discussed at the national and even more so at the EU level. The declared goal is the implementation of some form of a passport at the European level by the end of March. The ‘Psychology and corona’ expert group examined this issue from the perspective of psychological and, more generally, behavioral sciences.
February
January 2021
Even tough adolescents and young adults are not particularly sensitive to the medical consequences of COVID19, they are disproportionately sensitive to the psychological side effects of the current pandemic and its limitations. Therefore, the “Psychology and Corona” expert group calls specific attention to this group. This report summarizes the main findings of research on this topic and provides policy recommendations.
December
Vaccination-
strategy
November
Start second lockdown
October
1 contact
Report 5: summary report of the recommendations of the '' Psychology and Corona '' expert group (NL and FR)
September
Relaxations
The expert group "psychology and corona" offers us a summary of their recommendations that have been sent to both CELEVAL and political bodies. This report is only available in Dutch and French.
The second wave of infections is taking its motivational toll. Corona fatigue is creeping into many citizens. Extra efforts are urgently needed. In this report, we provide an overview of the main results of the recent surveys, we advocate for an interdisciplinary approach, and we offer a series of recommendations (do's and don'ts) on motivational communication and policy. This report is only available in Dutch and French.
August
July
Based on literature review and discussions with various experts, PSYNC, in collaboration with members of the corona and psychology expert group, developed guidelines and advice on the impact of covid-19 on the mental health of citizens.This report is only available in Dutch and French.
Stricter measures
Summer vacation
Report 2: What Makes for an Invigorating and Worthwhile Summer Vacation in Corona Times? (NL and FR)
The corona crisis demanded a lot of attention and energy. That leaves mental traces for some of us. At the same time, the virus may throw a spanner in the works of our vacation plans. In order to recover from this intense period, to oxygenate our social relationships under pressure, and to be able to deal resiliently with uncertain times in the fall, it is important to recharge the batteries during the holidays, both physically and psychologically. But what is that, a pleasant holiday that gives us a mental boost? The expert group 'psychology & corona' has formulated a series of recommendations on how you can experience an invigorating and valuable summer holiday in the Belgium or abroad in times of corona. This report is only available in Dutch and French.
June
Phase 4
May
First contacts
April
Exit strategy
The expert group was asked to provide initial advice to GEES. 7 steps were put forward with concrete recommendations.