Overview

COVID-19 fear influences decisions such as visiting family and friends, attending GP/hospital appointments, returning to the workplace and employment/consumption patterns. Yet there is no generally accepted instrument to define or measure COVID-19 fear. This study addresses the problem by:

(1) constructing a robust and evidence-based survey instrument for COVID-19 fear;
(2) uses the instrument to measure prevalence among older people in Scotland, and
(3) relates Covid-19 fear to willingness to re-engage across social, health, and economic domains as societyadjusts to what may be termed the 'new normal'.

This work will help researchers and policymakers to understand and respond to the social, health, and
economic impacts of COVID-19 fear.

This project extends the Healthy Ageing In Scotland (HAGIS), study by partnering with Generation Scotland to advance the development of Scotland's first comprehensive longitudinal study of ageing. The research will highlight social gradients in COVID-19 fear and the effects of fear on the use of internet and mobile communication technology (ICT) and its impacts. The findings will inform policy and behavioural interventions to address COVID-19 fear.

This project is funded by the ESRC as part of UKRI's Covid-19 Rapid-Response call.