‘Eliminator’ countries with less Covid restrictions had better mental health outcomes: Lancet study

Countries that tried to control COVID-19 transmission with stricter public restrictions had worse mental health outcomes than those that tried to suppress or eliminate COVID-19 transmission, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The team led by researchers from Simon Fraser University in Canada used data from two surveys of 15 countries between April 2020 and June 2021. Countries were grouped into two categories: those seeking to eliminate transmission of COVID-19 and those seeking to they sought to mitigate or reduce the spread of the virus within the country.

Eliminating countries include Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. Mitigating countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Mitigating countries such as South Korea and Japan implemented early and targeted actions, such as international travel restrictions, which resulted in lower levels. of COVID-19 infections, fewer deaths, and fewer negative mental health impacts compared to mitigating countries.

Mitigating countries such as Canada, France and the United Kingdom were less strict about travel and relied more on physical distancing, gathering restrictions and stay-at-home requirements, the researchers said. These measures restricted social connections and were associated with higher psychological distress, lower life evaluations and a lower opinion of the government compared to people living in removal countries, they said.

“Government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have been widely debated,” said Lara Aknin, an associate professor of psychology at Simon Fraser University. “At first glance, it may seem that the eliminating countries implemented much harsher strategies than other countries due to their international travel bans. But in reality, people within these borders enjoyed more freedom and less restrictive internal containment measures overall than citizens of mitigating countries,” Aknin added.

The researchers noted that effective policies to contain the pandemic must be accompanied by strategies and resources to address adverse impacts on mental health. For future pandemics, they suggest that governments could prioritize policies that reduce virus transmission but place fewer restrictions on daily life, such as restricting domestic travel rather than restricting gatherings. The researchers suggest that an elimination strategy, with the timely use of testing and contact tracing, could minimize deaths without requiring more restrictive political measures to contain viral spread.