Thread by @TheLancetPsych

Call to action: The #COVID19 pandemic could have a profound effect on #mentalhealth. 24 leading mental health experts lay out and describe the urgent need for research priorities to be addressed, and for the necessary funding hubs.ly/H0pvZWc0 Thread (1/6)

To inform their research priorities, the authors surveyed a sample of the UK public & people with lived experience of a mental health issue in late March to gain important insight (2/6) @acmedsci @mqmentalhealth acmedsci.ac.uk/COVIDmentalhea…

Research priority 1: the individual psychosocial effects related to #COVID19, such as cognition, emotion, and behaviour, that affect mental health (3/6)

Research priority 2: the population psychosocial effects related to #COVID19, including from distancing & other public health measures (4/6)

Research priority 3: the short-term and long-term effects of the virus on brain health and mental health, which are currently unknown (5/6)

Findings from such research could provide evidence-based guidance on how to respond to the #COVID19 pandemic, promote #mental health & wellbeing, & safeguard the brain, should future waves of infection emerge. We need to consider especially the needs of vulnerable groups. (6/6)