Editorial: Psychology of Preventive Behavior for COVID-19 outbreak

The biggest challenge humanity is facing right now is to curtail the outspread of COVID-19. To make this successful, people need to adopt precautions of social interaction and health hygiene, as recommended by WHO. Recent evidence indicates that the public tends to take a casual approach towards this recommendation, especially those which pertain to social distancing. Using the health belief model as a guiding theory, we recommend public awareness campaigns to focus on creating awareness regarding the potential benefits of the preventive approach, seriousness, and susceptibility of disease. Besides, authorities should also create an environment so that people face fewer barriers in adopting preventive measures. We also highlighted the potential role of positive psychology during COVID-19.