COVID-19 Vaccination for People with Severe Mental Illness: An International Survey

People with serious mental illness are often on the outskirts of society, hidden from view of the public and policymakers. As a result, individuals with the most severe psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and severe bipolar disorder, are often overlooked or ignored by governmental policy. This invisibility was never more apparent than in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Multiple research studies indicate that Individuals with serious mental illness are at a significantly increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. Other research indicates that people with severe mental illness are far less likely to receive the annual flu vaccine than the general population. These factors combined indicate that this especially vulnerable group should have been prioritized with targeted outreach to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as early as possible. 

Treatment Advocacy Center’s Office of Research and Public Affairs partnered with Clubhouse International, a community-based organization of 326 Clubhouses throughout the world, in May 2021, to conduct an international survey of all Clubhouses to understand barriers and facilitators of COVID-19 vaccination among Clubhouse members. Overall, the findings indicate that community investment in people with serious mental illness can have a tremendous impact on their health and well-being. 

Key findings:

• Estimated vaccination rates of U.S.-based Clubhouse members are, on average, significantly higher than the U.S. population. For example, in one county in Georgia, only 10.1% of the county’s population was fully vaccinated at the time of the survey, compared with an estimated 61–80% of Clubhouse members.
• Concerns about safety and side effects of the vaccine are the top two reasons why people with serious mental illness may not get the vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy is not the only driver for people with serious mental illness to not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Logistical and administrative barriers to getting an appointment or transportation to the vaccination site are also prominent.
• Sharing of experiences among peers is one of the most effective tools in changing minds around vaccination.