Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles

Chris Bonell; Susan Michie; Stephen Reicher; Robert West; Laura Bear; Lucy Yardley; Val Curtis; Richard Amlôt; G James Rubin

doi:10.1136/jech-2020-214290

Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles

Chris Bonell, Susan Michie, Stephen Reicher, Robert West, Laura Bear, Lucy Yardley, Val Curtis, Richard Amlôt, G James Rubin

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate (Academic Journal) › peer-review

143 Citations (Scopus)

153 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is an infection arising from a coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent times in terms of the global spread of infection and the resultant morbidity, mortality and burden on health systems.1 2 In the absence of a vaccine, reducing transmission of the COVID-19 virus requires rapid and extensive behaviour change to enact protective behaviours3 and ‘social distancing’ across whole populations. Although ‘social distancing’ is the current most used term, it actually refers to maintaining physical separation by reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other across whole populations.4 Social distancing applies regardless of infection status and is thus distinctive from quarantine or the isolation of those with suspected or diagnosed infection, which is also an important element of infection control.5 6

Original language	English
Number of pages	3
Journal	Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume	74
Issue number	8
Early online date	8 May 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-214290
Publication status	Published - 29 Jun 2020

Bibliographical note

The acceptance date for this record is provisional and based upon the month of publication for the article.

Research Groups and Themes

Physical and Mental Health
Covid19

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1136/jech-2020-214290

Full-text PDF (author’s accepted manuscript)
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via BMJ Publishing Group at https://jech.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/12/jech-2020-214290 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.
Accepted author manuscript, 132 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

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title = "Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles",

abstract = "Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is an infection arising from a coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent times in terms of the global spread of infection and the resultant morbidity, mortality and burden on health systems.1 2 In the absence of a vaccine, reducing transmission of the COVID-19 virus requires rapid and extensive behaviour change to enact protective behaviours3 and {\textquoteleft}social distancing{\textquoteright} across whole populations. Although {\textquoteleft}social distancing{\textquoteright} is the current most used term, it actually refers to maintaining physical separation by reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other across whole populations.4 Social distancing applies regardless of infection status and is thus distinctive from quarantine or the isolation of those with suspected or diagnosed infection, which is also an important element of infection control.5 6",

author = "Chris Bonell and Susan Michie and Stephen Reicher and Robert West and Laura Bear and Lucy Yardley and Val Curtis and Richard Aml{\^o}t and Rubin, {G James}",

note = "The acceptance date for this record is provisional and based upon the month of publication for the article. ",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

day = "29",

doi = "10.1136/jech-2020-214290",

language = "English",

volume = "74",

journal = "Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health",

issn = "0143-005X",

publisher = "BMJ Publishing Group",

number = "8",

}

Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles. / Bonell, Chris; Michie, Susan; Reicher, Stephen et al.
In: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 74, No. 8, 29.06.2020.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate (Academic Journal) › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

T2 - key principles

AU - Bonell, Chris

AU - Michie, Susan

AU - Reicher, Stephen

AU - West, Robert

AU - Bear, Laura

AU - Yardley, Lucy

AU - Curtis, Val

AU - Amlôt, Richard

AU - Rubin, G James

N1 - The acceptance date for this record is provisional and based upon the month of publication for the article.

PY - 2020/6/29

Y1 - 2020/6/29

N2 - Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is an infection arising from a coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent times in terms of the global spread of infection and the resultant morbidity, mortality and burden on health systems.1 2 In the absence of a vaccine, reducing transmission of the COVID-19 virus requires rapid and extensive behaviour change to enact protective behaviours3 and ‘social distancing’ across whole populations. Although ‘social distancing’ is the current most used term, it actually refers to maintaining physical separation by reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other across whole populations.4 Social distancing applies regardless of infection status and is thus distinctive from quarantine or the isolation of those with suspected or diagnosed infection, which is also an important element of infection control.5 6

AB - Coronovirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), is an infection arising from a coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent times in terms of the global spread of infection and the resultant morbidity, mortality and burden on health systems.1 2 In the absence of a vaccine, reducing transmission of the COVID-19 virus requires rapid and extensive behaviour change to enact protective behaviours3 and ‘social distancing’ across whole populations. Although ‘social distancing’ is the current most used term, it actually refers to maintaining physical separation by reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other across whole populations.4 Social distancing applies regardless of infection status and is thus distinctive from quarantine or the isolation of those with suspected or diagnosed infection, which is also an important element of infection control.5 6

U2 - 10.1136/jech-2020-214290

DO - 10.1136/jech-2020-214290

M3 - Comment/debate (Academic Journal)

C2 - 32385125

SN - 0143-005X

VL - 74

JO - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

JF - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

IS - 8

ER -

Harnessing behavioural science in public health campaigns to maintain 'social distancing' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: key principles

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Research Groups and Themes

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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