Imploration is not Enough: Using Psychological Techniques to Increase Adherence to COVID-19 Health Guidelines

The spread of COVID-19 has highlighted the necessity to comply with the health guidelines such as social distancing and wearing masks. Using psychological techniques in addition to providing information could be helpful in persuading the population to follow the guidelines. The aim of the present study was to review the psychological factors involved in compliance with COVID-19 health guidelines. After a search for relevant keywords (e.g., COVID-19, distancing, mask-wearing) in Magiran, SID, and Google Scholar databases, followed by the identification and screening of the search results,  studies that met the criteria were selected and reviewed. Results revealed 15 psychological factors that could affect the adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. In the end, practical solutions are discussed on how to use these psychological factors in policy-making.