COVID-19 has far-reaching socio-economic impacts. It also has many impacts for individuals. Even if you or someone you love has not been personally afflicted by the disease, your life and lifestyle almost certainly has. With much of the world still caught in the pandemic’s clutches, many people are trying to manage the ongoing fallout. If you are struggling to cope with COVID-19, you are far from alone. Read on for a roundup of recent news on the psychological effects of the coronavirus and how you can work to combat the negative impacts.
Quarantine has been a vital public health strategy during the pandemic. While it may help reduce disease transmission, it also has psychological effects. The more we, and healthcare providers, know about the stressors of quarantine, their psychological effects, and how to promote psychological wellbeing during these trying times, the better off we’ll be.
Research from the UK report clinically high levels of distress among people due to the impact of COVID-19. They found that those who demonstrate psychological flexibility -- defined as “the ability to recognize and adapt to situational demands in pursuit of personally meaningful longer-term outcomes” -- have greater wellbeing and are at reduced risk for anxiety and depression.
Conversely, people who demonstrate psychological inflexibility and the related tendency to avoid difficult situations and feelings, have poorer coping outcomes. According to research from China, meanwhile, these same negative coping styles may lead to mental illness. This data underscores the value of early psychological interventions.
Dealing with quarantines and lockdowns is bad enough on its own, but in an unprecedented period of uncertainty like the one we’re now in, the anxiety of not knowing what the future holds can be worse than the actual situation itself. Psychologists say this phenomenon occurs because when our brains don’t know what’s coming next, they spin with everything that could possibly happen.
“Your brain will do almost anything for the sake of certainty,” Bryan Robinson, PhD writes in Forbes. As such, “You’re hardwired to overestimate threats and underestimate your ability to handle them -- all in the name of survival,” Robinson continues. In fact, studies show people are calmer when they’re anticipating pain than they are when what’s coming is unknown.
The key to managing this anxiety? Maintaining your perspective. “In addition to washing our hands, we need to cleanse our minds to offset catastrophic thinking,” concludes Robinson.
There are some specific things you can do to that effect, according to MindSpot’s list of 10 psychological tips for coping with the coronavirus. These are getting informed with the right information, getting organized, balancing your thoughts, shutting down outside noise, understanding history, reminding yourself of who you are, maintaining healthy routines, staying engaged and connected with the people around you, spending time doing enjoyable activities and hobbies, and looking forward.
While we are all hoping and waiting for things to return to normal, the mantra “this too shall pass” can be helpful.
The American Psychological Association (APA) also shed light on how we can better deal with COVID-19. Findings include the damaging effects of media and social media, and the vital role getting information from worthy sources can play. (Learn how to find them here.) Additionally, we know the sooner people start managing their stress, the less likely they are to suffer long-term mental and physical health outcomes.
The APA further reports on the negative impact of quarantines and isolation, determining priorities to be minimizing quarantine lengths and making sure isolating people have access to what they need.
On that note, at a time when people have even less access to resources, online therapy is playing an increasingly vital role. In Turkey, for example, people are benefiting from online psychotherapy sessions. “The pandemic changed the way we work. The online method enabled us to reach out to people all across the country,” says Emre Konuk, director of the Turkish EMDR Association Trauma Healing Group.
One lesser-discussed coping mechanism for many people during lockdowns, according to one study in Britain, is pets!Specifically, 90 percent of survey respondents revealed that their pets helped them cope during lockdowns, while 96 percent said their pets helped them stay active and fit. “Findings from this study also demonstrated potential links between people’s mental health and the emotional bonds they form with their pets,” says lead author Elena Ratschen. While cats and dogs were the most common pets cited in the study, smaller mammals and even fish were also included.
Meanwhile, a study published in the academic journal Personality and Individual Differences found an even less likely contributor to coping with coronavirus: horror movies. “People who engaged more frequently with frightening fictional phenomena, such as horror fans and the morbidly curious, displayed more robust psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the researchers contend.
According to lead author Coltan Scrivner, this may be because people who watch horror movies are used to feeling afraid in safe settings. Watching movies helps them practice their “emotion regulation skills”, which have equipped them to deal better with the chaos of COVID.
Fans of the “prepper” genre, which includes zombie, apocalyptic, and post-apocalyptic films, were also found to be more prepared for the pandemic because they were prepared for the social upheaval that often accompanies real-world disasters.
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