The uncertainties, loss and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions have disrupted many people’s emotional well-being. This has been exacerbated by the constantly evolving public health guidelines and news stories, which increase anxiety and fear in many people.
The urgency of this problem has led mental health professionals and scientists to call for the further development of mental health science and intervention during the pandemic. As vaccination rates increase, there is an opportunity to redirect public health efforts to manage the mental health consequences of the pandemic.
As a team of cognitive neuroscientists and a clinical health psychologist studying mind wandering and ways to improve well-being in vulnerable populations, we responded to the call for action for mental health interventions. Specifically, we studied mindfulness meditation as a potential coping strategy for these mental health adversities.
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Narrated by AI.
Julia Kam, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary; Caitlin Mills, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire; Chelsie Miko Hart, Doctoral Student in Experimental Psychology, University of Calgary; Jessica Andrews-Hanna, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science Program, University of Arizona, and Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.