Dr. Anita DeLongis, a Health Psychologist at UBC is studying how people around the world are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. DeLongis hopes to follow participants throughout the duration of the pandemic and afterwards to see how their coping mechanisms change. So far almost 7000 people have participated in the study.
In a recent CBC article, DeLongis mentions that people who demonstrate a high level of empathy are more likely to comply with public health guidelines, such as handwashing and physical distancing, because they're motivated to protect others who are more vulnerable, such as the elderly, from becoming ill during a pandemic.
But responding with empathy also "does seem to be a really key strategy" for maintaining mental well-being, because it gives people a sense of control during an uncertain time. It also appears to help stop people from ruminating about COVID-19 — a "normal response to an abnormal situation," said DeLongis, but one that exacerbates anxiety and feelings of depression.