I spoke with @SLangeneggerCBC on the radio this morning about the psychology of pandemic rules and some of the reasons why we may be seeing more apathy from some of our partners on this large-scale group project where we all need to do our part. :

Rules need to be consistent and simple. Most want to do their part but we need to make rules easy to understand. I’m often asked what the various restrictions are for indoor vs outdoor vs restaurants gatherings, how long do you need to self isolate with a negative test? Etc.

Support people to do the right thing. Paid sick leave and other safety nets are crucial. If you’re in isolation, do you have a way to get groceries? Public health checking in on people in quarantine every day is great for mental health but also for enforcement. Speaking of which,

rules need to be enforced. We know that speeding and drunk driving are against the law, yet we still have hardworking police officers out there making sure we all follow the rules. Apathy & cynicism build when enforcement is not applied consistently & fairly. This needs funding.

Remind us why rules are in place. More public awareness campaigns with ppl who are most affected might help; personalizing this crisis helps to unify us. At a recent physician town hall, a photo of one of our executive’s grandparents drove the point home about prioritization.

As a child psychiatrist, I’m always telling caregivers that rules and consequences need to be logical. In the case of a province, transparent guidelines from our leaders about what will lead to tightened or loosened restrictions would get people out of the dark and help us feel

like we are part of the solution. Remember when we were told more restrictions would come when case counts were > 60/day? That never happened and now we are in the 200-300’s.
It was a mistake to implement a mask mandate based on geography that didn’t line up with case rates.

Data needs to inform our rules. Evidence-based restrictions using objective measures like case or hospitalization rates is key.

TL;DR: rules that are simple, timely, logically consistent, and enforced are more likely to be followed.

*steps off soapbox*