International research is under way to better understand the psychological, social and neuroscientific effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The early work has established what many of us would have anticipated: a rise in rates of depression and anxiety.
Our own survey work across the UAE of 1,051 people and counting, undertaken by psychologists at Zayed University, echoes these findings.
Beyond depression and anxiety, however, there is a host of other psychological implications connected with the current crisis.
Uncertainty is one of the psychological consequences of Covid-19 we are all experiencing.
When will it end? What are the long-term effects of contracting the illness? When will we find a vaccine? What will happen to my job?
READ Mental health help in the UAE during the coronavirus crisis: five organisations to know about
Rumours tend to rise in times of uncertainty. Occasionally, idle talk morphs into full-blown conspiracy theories.
Unlike more harmless rumours, conspiracy theories centre on a rejection of mainstream ideas and common sense in favour of a more sinister and secret narrative.
Dangerous ideas are being peddled about the virus being caused by 5G wireless networks (#5GCoronavirus).
There is also the bizarre notion that the whole pandemic is an overblown hoax (#Covid-19hoax).
Then there is the outlandish proposal of this being the plot of certain philanthropists to depopulate the planet.
These opinions spread via social media and have made some people disregard the advice to maintain physical distancing.
They have incited others to set fire to 5G towers, at a time when telecommunications are vital to the emergency services and the general public.
A 2019 Pew Research Centre study suggests that 62 per cent of adults in the US get their news from social media.
In our survey in the UAE, which explores the psychological consequences of Covid-19, social media was also reported as the primary source of news about the virus.
Unfortunately, social media can act as a petri dish for conspiracy theories, where half-truths cross with decontextualised facts and outright delusions.
The resulting ideas often go viral, infecting the minds of millions of people around the globe.
Conspiracy theories centre on a rejection of mainstream ideas and common sense in favour of a more sinister and secret narrative
The current pandemic has created the perfect psychological conditions for conspiracy theories to propagate, mutate and flourish.
Social media is the wind carrying these noxious notions far and wide.
To flatten the Covid-19 curve, it will help if we can find ways of flattening the conspiracy theory curve too.
Last week Facebook announced it would inform users if they had liked or commented on Covid-19-related posts that later turned out to contain harmful misinformation.
This is a start, but think of the millions of other passive readers, those who didn’t like or comment on the posts, but still exposed themselves to toxic ideas. Can we vaccinate people against conspiracy theories? Some would argue that this is one of the goals of our education system.
Another significant psychological consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, or rather our response to it, is rising levels of loneliness. Physical distancing and lockdown measures have disrupted and diminished opportunities for face-to-face social interaction.
SocialPro, a popular social psychology website, undertook an email survey on this topic among people across North America and the UK. Lockdown-related loneliness was found to be 70 per cent more common among millennials than in baby boomers.
Men also reported experiencing higher levels of “lockdown loneliness” than women, with millennial men the loneliest of all.
Our survey data for the UAE tells a similar story. Loneliness and a sense of social isolation are key concerns for many, but particularly for residents who are physically separated from friends and their immediate and extended families.
Of course, this is where social media and digital platforms can play a health-promoting role and provide meaningful and enriching social interactions.
This sense of connection and belonging is an essential protective mechanism in these difficult times.
Watching our neighbours share their musical abilities on balconies or gathering for an online book club can promote a healthy sense of "we".
What impact might the communal fasting and other Ramadan rituals have on the psychological well-being of those celebrating the holy month?
It is in this time that we need high-quality research to better understand the psychological consequences of what we are going through.
Justin Thomas is a psychology professor at Zayed University
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
