In the current crisis, government policies, such as physical distancing, are paying enormous attention to the mortality risks of COVID-19 to the exclusion of the wellbeing hits borne elsewhere (e.g. mental health, loneliness, domestic violence, child welfare, physical health, and addiction). Is this as it should be when lives are at stake? If not, what can be done to ensure that misery is placed on a more equal footing with mortality?

Paul Dolan (@profpauldolan) is Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is Head of Department in Psychological and Behavioural Science and Director of the EMSc in Behavioural Science. He is author of the Sunday Times best-selling book Happiness by Design, and Happy Ever After.

Daisy Fancourt (@Daisy_Fancourt) is Associate Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology and Wellcome Research Fellow in the Psychobiology Group, Department of Behavioural Science & Health at UCL. Daisy studied at Oxford University and King’s College London before completing her PhD in psychoneuroimmunology at UCL.

Richard Layard is Emeritus Professor of Economics at LSE. is a labour economist who worked for most of his life on how to reduce unemployment and inequality. He is also one of the first economists to work on happiness, and his main current interest is how better mental health could improve our social and economic life.

Gus O'Donnell (@Gus_ODonnell) is chairman of Frontier Economics and the former cabinet secretary and head of the Home Civil Service.

Carol Propper is Professor of Economics at Imperial College London. She is an author of an IFS report on the health consequences of responses to COVID-19.

Julia Black is currently LSE's Strategic Director of Innovation and a Professor of Law in the Department of Law at LSE.

This event is part of LSE's public event series - COVID-19: The Policy Response.

COVID-19 represents an enormous challenge for the social sciences to help governments and non-governmental organisations respond to the economic and societal consequences of the pandemic. Part of LSE's response to this challenge is a series of online public events that will take place over the Summer Term.

Why not visit the School of Public Policy COVID-19 Resource Centre.

This event in the series has been organised by the Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science.

The next event in this series will take place at 4pm on 21 May on COVID-19 and its Impact on Euro Atlantic Security.

The Department of Psychological & Behavioural Science (@LSE_PBS) is a growing community of researchers, intellectuals, and students who investigate the human mind and behaviour in a societal context. Our department conducts cutting-edge psychological and behavioural research that is both based in and applied to the real world.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSECOVID19

Podcast & Video

A podcast of this event is available to download at Assessing the Impact of COVID-19: from mortality to misery?

A video of this event is available to watch at Assessing the Impact of COVID-19: from mortality to misery?

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.