Optimising Wellbeing during Self-isolation (OWLS)

People with severe mental health problems are at increased risk of being affected by COVID-19 and the pandemic restrictions. This is because they are more likely to live in impoverished circumstances and are less likely to be able to access the internet. Many people with mental health problems have physical health problems also which may mean they are in a group that needs to isolate for long periods of time. In this project we want to look at how people with mental health problems are affected by the current pandemic. We want to know whether people are able to access health services when they need to. Whether they are able to use the internet to access services and contact friends and if they are feeling lonely. Finally have they made any changes to reduce the risk of COVID-19 such as stopping smoking. The project involves completing questionnaires and taking part in interviews. We will invite people who took part in the Health and Wellbeing Survey and said they were interested in taking part in future research. The results of the study will be used to make recommendations about how best to support people with severe mental illness during a pandemic.