Supporting refugees and asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic

14 May 2020

Read the article on the Country specific resoures section  for United Kingdom 

Frontline workers document : 

Step-by-step stress management technique for essential workers  

The Global Psychology Alliance resource for managing COVID-19 stress at work

The COVID-19 pandemic has created especially challenging and stressful circumstances for frontline and essential workers across the world. In an effort to support these individuals with their pandemic-related stressors at work, the Global Psychology Alliance (GPA) created a problem-solving poster grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to be placed in break-rooms and common areas where workers will see them.

The goal of this document is to provide a simple and engaging step-by-step approach to identifying stressors, thinking through possible solutions, and taking actions that may be helpful. The GPA also hopes this resource will highlight the undue burden and stress placed on essential workers during this time, normalize the related mental health impacts that they may be dealing with as a result, show support for individuals who are unable to access care, and offer a simple, science-based technique to help them sort through challenges.

This resource is available in several languages here 

See example from American Psychologiscal Association (APA) under 13. How our partners deal with COVID-19 

New BPS guidance to help experts support people to look after their health during pandemic

BPS News
27 October 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought serious disruption to people’s lives, with changes in our routines, lifestyles and behaviours potentially affecting our overall health and wellbeing.

With lives thrown upside down as a result of measures to contain the virus, many people may be finding it challenging to focus on their health at the time they need it the most. 

Aiming to help health officials to consider the changes people may have had to make in their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, and giving psychologically-informed behaviour change approaches to help address them, the guidance focuses on addressing the following key health behaviours: 

• Physical activity
• Sedentary behaviour
• Eating behaviour 
• Stopping smoking 
• Alcohol consumption
• Sleep hygiene 

Read guidance on BPS website 

Provision of first line psychological support

Respond to the local situation: As the situation is very different from country to country, please adjust to your country’s specific situation. We therefore encourage our member associations to get into contact with their local health authorities and promote their official assessment and guidelines. 

Get the facts: assist people in making sure they are getting the right facts. Governments are providing objective information about the virus in your country through websites to which you can refer. The European Centre for Disease Prevention (ECDP) and control has a special website on the Coronavirus which gives regular updates: Covid 19.

Communicate with children: discuss the news coverage of the coronavirus with honest and age – appropriate information. Parents can also help allay distress by focusing children on routines and schedules. Remember that children will observe parents behaviors and emotions for cues on how to manage their own feelings during time.

Keep (safely) connected: Maintaining social networks can foster a sense of normality and provide valuable outlets for sharing feelings and relieving stress. Encourage people to share useful information on governmental websites with friends and family. In case of quarantine, people can still maintain contact from a distance.

Support people to seek additional help: Individuals who feel an overwhelming nervousness, a lingering sadness, or other prolonged reactions that adversely affect their job performance or interpersonal relationships should consult with a trained and experienced mental health professional. 

Coping with quarantine: Prof. Atle Dyregrov wrote an article that provides very useful information on supporting people who have to deal with a quarantine situation. See section 'Isolation & Quarantine'  

Promote safety: people can enhance safety by following guidelines on personal protection, environmental countermeasures, social distancing countermeasures and travel – related countermeasures as explained by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Guidelines on non – pharmaceutical countermeasures, see page 'WHO and ECDC guidelines'  

Most of these guidelines have been modified by your local health authorities. We would encourage you to get into contact with them and use these guidelines to support the general population.

Promote mental well-being

WHO has issued helpful guidance on Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak 

Read the guidance and more on the WHO dedicated section here  

 Most of these guidelines have been modified by your local health authorities. We would again encourage you to get into contact with them and use these guidelines to support the general population. 

Found out more on the country specfic resources and guidance section here 

COVID-19 rehabilitation patient leaflet hugely popular

September 22, 2022 

Grief in these times of COVID-19

Niamh Fitzpatrick 

Niamh Fitzpatrick talks about Grief in these times of COVID-19. The way Niamh Fitzpatrick speaks of it is something that will transcend geography and may be of help in other countries. 

Watch video on YouTube 