Objectives.

We want to develop a model of the factors that could affect the psychological wellbeing and decision-making capacities during the COVID-19 (or ‘coronavirus’) outbreak occurring all over world. Investigators from various countries are collaborating on this project to help scientists and decision-makers have better support and communication strategies.

Considering that mental health is still an unfortunate pending topic of discussion now, we hope this investigation will also be significant for the media, decision makers, and the conversation among citizens in general.

Design.

For this purpose, the survey is composed of a series of questions to obtain sociodemographic information, in addition to previously validated instruments or scales to measure the variables of interest:

Variables

** Dependent

--First part of the survey:

• Framing risk

• Perceived stress from the previous week

• Perceived loneliness

• Trust in others

• Trust in governmental and healthcare systems

• Worries over Coronavirus

• Trust in preventative measures

• Compliance to local preventative measures

• Personality (Big 5)

---Second part of the survey:

• Stressors and sources of stress

• Availability of social provisions for critical situations

• Coping with stress, reducing discomfort

• Behavior about obtaining information, sources and means

** Independent

• Framing risk

• Countries

*** Covariates

• Age

• Sex

• Educational level

• -Mother’s educational level

• Employment status

• Country of residency

• Residency outside of home country

• Marital status

• Number of dependents (economic)

• Close contact with someone at high risk of getting infected (e.g., elderly or sick)

Hypothesis.

This project’s hypotheses are preregistered, mostly, under an open science design found in the Open Science Framework (OSF), where researchers’ theoretical perspectives can be tested with appropriate data.

The general hypothesis is an expected increase in stress in the world population. Within the Mexican population specifically this would be due to the impact of confinement, fear of oneself or loved ones becoming infected, changes in public policies, the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic and its later stages, as perceived at the times of responding to the survey.

Understanding the phenomena that are happening can help, primarily, by bringing more attention to mental health problems during periods of staying at home.

The information can help identify factors that favor better coping strategies and less mental health deterioration. Giving specialists the opportunity to develop intervention strategies based on results.

It is therefore noteworthy to reiterate that the Open Science Framework enables diverse specialists to make use of the data to generate adequate intervention strategies.

In the long run, the data collected will be valuable since it permits a greater understanding of the phenomena that are happening. The data may also favor future scenarios, wherein decisions made by authorities can be shaped by what is currently being experienced.