Scientific research

Social Distancing Compliance under COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health Impacts: A Population-Based Study

HKU Nursing and SPH researchers have conducted a population-based study to assess the adherence to social distancing measures and analyse their association with mental health impacts. In their study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 1501 Hong Kong residents were randomly sampled for landline or online surveys. More than 70% of respondents adopted the measures of avoiding going out and going to crowded places. The level of compliance with social distancing and stay-at-home was higher among female, older and educated respondents. Perceived effectiveness of and compliance with social distancing were associated with a lower level of mental distress. However, staying at home for a long time may increase the risk of depressive symptoms.

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DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186692

# control and mitigation measures