Fall 2020: COVID-19 and Social Isolation

"The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Burden of Social Isolation"
with Máire Ford, associate professor of psychology

Monday, Sep. 14, 2020 | 12 p.m.

Professor Máire Ford will discuss how social disconnection (for example, loneliness and social isolation) can lead to decrements in health and well-being. Specifically, she will focus on the consequences of social disconnection due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She will summarize research findings from her lab that reveal specific ways that social isolation in the first few months of the pandemic were associated with declines in psychological well-being, physical health, and interpersonal wellbeing. She will discuss implications of these findings as well as ways to mitigate the harmful effects of social disconnection.