Closed petition Require mental health impact assessments for all behavioural insight policies.

Closed on 12 October 2021

Behavioural insights advisors nudge collective behaviour by informing covid19 policy. Such advice must be examined to ensure that no behaviour modification technique advocated for use at the societal level leads to negative impacts on the nation’s mental health.

Behaviour modification can be of benefit but it can also negatively impact mental health if employed erroneously. Techniques should not create negative emotions, such as heightening the fear response, but create positive emotions that heighten mental wellbeing. Some Govt covid19 policy responses & related media campaigns have veered too much to the 'negative'. All advice informing policy, in a covid19 response context, must be filtered to minimise adverse mental health effects & boost wellbeing.