Helping people cope during COVID-19

Research team and collaborators

• Dr Keith Gaynor, Assistant Professor, UCD School of Psychology; and Senior Clinical Psychologist, St John of God Hospital
• Professor Eilis Hennessy, Professor, UCD School of Psychology
• Róisín McNamara, Research Assistant, UCD School of Psychology
• Eamon Aswad, Research Assistant, St John of God Hospital
• Louise Delz, Master of Psychology Student, UCD School of Psychology
• Luisa Schmieder, Undergraduate Psychology Student, UCD School of Psychology
• Ellen Somers, Undergraduate Psychology Student, UCD School of Psychology
• Rachael O’Connor, Undergraduate Psychology Student, UCD School of Psychology

Funding

• Qualitative study looking at people’s beliefs about the personal impact of COVID-19 (2020): funded by Community Foundation Ireland and AWARE
• Feasibility study looking at a pilot psychological therapy group for COVID-19 related distress (2020): funded by St John of God Research Foundation
• Coping During COVID Workbook (2021): funded by St John of God Hospital

Workbook

• The free-to-download workbook, “(opens in a new window)The Coping During COVID Workbook” was developed for the general public.

Selected media

• (opens in a new window)Holding onto Hope, The Ryan Tubridy Show, RTE Radio 1 (January, 2021)
• (opens in a new window)Facing into Level 5 Lockdown, The Ryan Tubridy Show, RTE Radio 1 (October, 2020)
• (opens in a new window)Coping During COVID, The Ryan Tubridy Show, RTE Radio 1 (2020)
• (opens in a new window)Seven Ways to Calm Anxiety, Irish Independent (March, 2021)
• How to manage worry as we exit lockdown, Irish Independent (May, 2021; Paywall)

Sample of public response

• At a presentation, this evening by Snr. Clinical Psychologist Dr Keith Gaynor and loved this quote around the last 18 months: "Each day might have felt like nothing. But what we've been through hasn't been nothing." — Tweet from webinar attendee
• He [Dr Gaynor] was great this morning. —Tweet from webinar attendee
• A good guy who speaks immense sense. —Ryan Tubridy on Dr Gaynor

Webinars

• AWARE: Depression Support and Education Service
  • (opens in a new window)Developing Resilience & Coping Skills Within the Context of Covid-19 (300+ attendees)
  • (opens in a new window)The Wellness Session: Living Well for Body & Mind (300+ attendees)
  • (opens in a new window)Understanding & Managing Mental Health in Uncertain Times (300+ attendees)
• UCD Culture and Engagement
  • National Workplace Wellbeing Day 2021 (250+ attendees)
• The Library Association of Ireland
  • (opens in a new window)Managing Your Mental Health through the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Senior Managers of the Civil Service
• The Irish Aviation Authority

Research references

• Delz , L. & Gaynor, K. (In Preparation). A confirmatory factor analysis of a cognitive behavioural model of COVID-19 related distress.
• Gaynor, K., McNamara, R., O'Connor, R., Schmieder, L., Somers, E., & Hennessy, E. (2021, November 25). Qualitative analysis of the cognitive triad in a sample of the general population in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. DOI: (opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/jp5g4 
• Aswad, E., & Gaynor, K. (2021, December 13). Development and Initial feasibility of an Online Cognitive Behavioral Group Intervention for COVID-19 Related Distress. DOI: (opens in a new window)https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/g5n3e