The COVID-19 virus pandemic is causing huge personal, societal and economic impact for the population. Physical and mental well-being can be affected in everybody to varying degrees by the stress associated with the pandemic and the changes to our behaviours and ways of living.

Researchers from Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland) are working with a large group of scientists from around the world, led by Prof. Christoph Correll (The Feinstein Institute, USA; the Charité Universitätsmedizin, Ger) and Prof. Marco Solmi (University of Padua, Italy) on one of the largest surveys to assess physical and mental well-being during the COVID-19 outbreak.

If you want to take part in the anonymous survey and contribute to the understanding of the ‘Irish perspective’, please click on the website link https://www.coh-fit.com/

It is an anonymous survey, donating approximately 30 minutes of your time (for the adult and adolescent version). Responding and spreading the word will provide information that can be used to help all of us during these times. Further details on the research is available from Dr Evan Matthews (NMPDU, HSE Research Fellow, the Department of Nursing and Health Care, Waterford Institute of Technology; ematthews@wit.ie)

The survey is open until end of February 2021.

In the event that participation in this survey causes distress, please note the following crisis support in the Rep. of Ireland.  Please phone:

• 112 for emergencies.
• 116 123 to talk to the Samaritans.
• Contact your local GP for mental health support.

More information and guidance on COVID-19 is available: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/

This research has received ethical approval from a number of international IRB, including Waterford Institute of Technology.