coronavirus

Behavioral Medicine Experts Have a Vital Role in the COVID Era

A new commentary co-authored by faculty members Monica Wang, Eleanor Murray, and Jennifer Beard provides guidelines for behavioral medicine scientists to take on misinformation about the coronavirus.

Behavioral medicine—an interdisciplinary field focusing on how thoughts and behaviors influence health—has a key role to play in the COVID-19 era, according to a new commentary co-authored by School of Public Health faculty and published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

“Many behavioral medicine scientists have stayed quiet during COVID-19 because they are not currently conducting COVID-19 research, but behavioral medicine scientists and practitioners are experts in behavior change,” write senior author Monica Wang, associate professor of community health sciences; Eleanor Murray, assistant professor of epidemiology; and Jennifer Beard, clinical associate professor of global health; with lead author Carly Goldstein, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School; and Alexandra Schnoes of iBiology.

“For example, a behavioral medicine expert can advise the public on how to use positive reinforcement to help children wear masks for extended periods of time, the interplay between physical activity and psychological health during quarantine, how schools can use message framing to encourage mask policy compliance, or how parents can tailor information about COVID-19 to be developmentally appropriate for members of their family,” they write.

The commentary outlines key elements of effective science communication, including thinking about what emotions a message should elicit, tailoring messaging to specific audiences, starting “dialogue versus a monologue,” and making sure the main takeaway comes through loud and clear.

Get the tips and read the full commentary here.