Trust in times of pandemics | Fact-sheets collection from the Portuguese COVID-19 pandemic Task Force on Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Trust is a multifactorial and dynamic interpersonal (and institutional) facet, highly sensitive to individual, social, political, and economic contexts. It is a crucial determinant for adherence to public health measures, especially when those measures are addressed to a large (or universal) group of citizens in scenarios of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic scenario. Indeed, trust in public institutions, experts, and citizens is essential for effective cooperation and coordinated responses to pandemics. This paper discusses the concept of trust as a family of concepts, including trust, distrust, and mistrust. The importance of reciprocity in trust-based relationships is also highlighted, as a more long-lasting effective alternative to a “duty-to-trust” paternalistic and directive approach.