Why trust is vital to public health strategy

TRUST is a crucial component of effective public health policy. It is also a two-way street.

People need to trust the authorities — universities, employers, the government — that are asking them to behave in a certain way, but they also need to feel trusted by these authorities.

The success of various authorities when it comes to managing the coronavirus pandemic relies on how effective they are at building and maintaining bonds of trust with the public.

One recent example of how this trust can break down are the fences erected on November 5 around a student’s accommodation block at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.

Students reported that the fencing left them with only one security-guarded exit point. Student protests led to fencing being pulled down, and it has since been removed.

The university has apologised for the “concern and distress caused”, but likely have left many students feeling powerless and distrusted.

The decision to cordon off “non-essential” items in other cities across the world serves as another example.

It implied a lack of trust in consumers’ ability to decide for themselves what constitutes “essential items” and was met with widespread disapproval.

Research has found that people who have the ability to make their own decisions are, in the long run, more likely to stick to COVID-19 guidelines than those whose decisions are controlled.

A recent research study suggested that not feeling trusted in the form of not being given sufficient autonomy over certain decisions is likely to reduce people’s motivation to keep to the guidelines.

Taking actions such as imposing physical barriers without consulting the people involved might actually harm the public health effort.

It reduces people’s trust and, therefore, their motivation to adhere to guidelines and rules.

Actions such as this affect three of the basic psychological “needs” that shape human behaviour. They take away autonomy — the ability to make personal decisions. They deny competence — they are not given the information required to make decisions for themselves. They also lead to a lack of relatedness — a sense of belonging or connection.

Research is showing that the less these psychological needs are being met, the more damage it does to our sense of wellbeing during the pandemic. This could also be crucial to a public health strategy.