Mapping the Moods of COVID-19: Global Study Uses Data Visualization to Track Psychological Responses, Identify Targets for Intervention

In March 2020, the fast-spreading coronavirus prompted many countries to go into lockdown and to take other behavioral measures to flatten the epidemic curve. People’s adherence to these containment guidelines involve acceptance of social norms, trust in authority, and personal sacrifice. Such adherence is challenged by the deprivation of material and psychological needs that such measures entail, along with the resulting accumulation of psychological strain (Brooks et al., 2020). Various psychological influences could also work against effective containment of the virus (Van Bavel et al., 2020). Hence, social science is critical for understanding responses to COVID-19 and the progression of the pandemic, especially in the event of a long-term or recurring virus containment scenario.

Sensing the urgency of the challenge, a collaboration of 100+ researchers across five continents launched a global study to investigate the psychological implications of this crisis, including the tensions between following government policy and meeting the basic needs of autonomy and social connection. We launched the PsyCorona survey on March 19th, 2020; by the end of May, more than 60,000 participants had completed the initial, 20-minute survey in 30 languages globally, which included 24 nationally representative samples by age and gender.