The University of Macau (UM) recently joined 15 other universities and research institutions around the world to conduct an international study of the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to provide key policy guidance and to strengthen existing health services in order to better address public mental health issues.

The study will be conducted in 14 countries over the course of one year. The research team is formed by experts and scholars at 16 universities and medical institutions around the world, including University of Macau, Yale University in the United States, the University of New South Wales in Australia, the University Hospital Zurich of the University of Zurich in Switzerland, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the United Kingdom, the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, Freie Universität Berlin (the Free University of Berlin) in Germany, Stellenbosch University in South Africa, the University of Verona and the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (the Free University of Amsterdam) in the Netherlands, Koç University in Turkey, INSERM (The Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale/French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique) in France, Jaume I University in Spain, and Padjadjaran University in Indonesia. The study is led by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is supported by its World Health Organization Collaborating Center.

As a longitudinal study, it will be conducted between May 2020 and May 2021 through electronic survey. The study aims to investigate the long-term mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, in order to provide key policy guidance and to strengthen existing health services in order to better address public mental health issues, as well as deepen people’s knowledge about how populations in different countries respond to adversity and remain resilient in the face of stress and disruption caused by the pandemic. UM’s Centre for Macau Studies was involved in the design of the survey and will coordinate the data collection efforts in Macao and its neighbouring regions.

To participate in the survey, please visit https://vrijeuniversiteit.datacoll.nl/iultevzdjl?l=zh-hant. Eligible participants will be entered into a lucky draw for a chance to win EUR 50.