PANDEMIC AS A CRISIS SITUATION: POSSIBLE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES

Pandemics, which are not just a medical phenomenon, affects individual and society causing disruption, anxiety, stress, stigma and xenophobia [3]. Pandemics such as SARS, Ebola, H1N1, Equine Flu and the recent novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) which was classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a full- blown pandemic, has had significant psychological effects on the population. Focusing on the recent COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to contain the spread of the virus with elements such as social distancing, separation from loved ones, the inhibition of freedom, the uncertainty about the advancement of the disease and the feeling of helplessness has led to behavioural changes threatening the psychological, social and economic wellbeing of individuals. The virus is feared to have had a severe psychological effect on the Chinese population since China was where the outbreak originated. In Hong Kong, a survey conducted during the early stages of the pandemic revealed that, 97% of respondents were worried about the virus and 99% were alert to the progression of the disease, associated anxiety and perceived susceptibility and severity. The feeling of anger that comes with stressful conditions spread among people who live in areas that have been affected the most, may also lead to suicidal behaviours [4]. Prolonged social isolation due to the stay-home order has been associated with increased loneliness. Increased loneliness is known to increase the risk of suicide.

A study on the psychological impact of quarantine revealed that, people who were quarantined because of being in close contact with an infected person or people who might  have been personally infected with the corona virus were reported to have various negative responses like fear, nervousness, sadness and guilt during the quarantine period. Just a few reported positive feelings of happiness and relief [3]. It has also been shown that health pandemics have psychological consequences.  Studies of the psychological effects of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which came out in 2003, showed that PTSD symptoms, depression and anxiety were significantly associated with time spent in quarantine.

There is new research suggesting that, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may occur in some patients who recover from severe COVID-19 infection. They are likely to experience delirium, depressive and hypomanic episodes and generalized anxiety disorder. The loss of both income and personal identity related to the lack of employment due to the pandemic is likely to result in increased anxiety [5].

This current COVID-19 pandemic has the characteristics of some relevant features that increase the risk of PTSD among health workers confronting the emergency such as, unparalleled numbers of critically ill patients with an often unpredictable course of the disease, high mortality rates and lack of effective treatment or treatment guidelines. Therefore, the burden of the current COVID-19 outbreak on health care workers places them at risk of developing psychological distress and other mental health symptoms. Due to the stress of the pandemic, health care workers are at a risk to develop symptoms common in a crisis situation such as burnout syndrome, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and dissociation. Health professionals, who are in daily contact with the risk of infection, suffer stigmatization. They may also suffer from acute psychological stress, exhaustion and post-traumatic stress caused by the fear of infecting their family members and prolonged social isolation [4] Dealing with the stress of the pandemic can also stress the presence of existing psychological disorders which can lead to the development of Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome. Individuals who feel vulnerable to infectious diseases often exaggerate their response s in the form of disgust, negative perceptions and avoidance to those they perceive as a threat to their health in a pandemic. Stigmatization is especially common in disease pandemics. If people become stigmatized, they may experience emotional pain from stress and anxiety of social avoidance and rejection. The reduction in social and physical contact with others, confinement and loss of usual routine has been shown to cause boredom, frustration and a sense of isolation from the rest of the world. This frustration increases when people are unable to take part in their usual everyday activities, such as shopping for basic necessities [1]. Worldwide situation of the piling up of cases and deaths and the extensive media coverage added to individual fear of contagion, along with the fear of forced social transformation in the future, are all elements that might give rise to the detriment in mental health [2].

Hence it is essential to understand that a pandemic has negative psychological effects on individuals, and it is likely that these effects can last long or even linger after the pandemic is over. We have more to learn about how these psychological consequences differ with gender and age.

References:

1. Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet, 395(10227), 912–920. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(20)30460-8
2. Deng, Y., Chang, L., Yang, M., Huo, M., & Zhou, R. (2016). Gender Differences in Emotional Response: Inconsistency between Experience and Expressivity. PLOS ONE, 11(6), e0158666. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158666
3. Javed, B., Sarwer, A., Soto, E. B., & Mashwani, Z. U. (2020). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic's impact on mental health. The International journal of health planning and management, 35(5), 993–996. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3008
4. Saladino, V., Algeri, D., & Auriemma, V. (2020). The Psychological and Social Impact of Covid-19: New Perspectives of Well-Being. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577684
5. Yan, S., Xu, R., Stratton, T. D., Kavcic, V., Luo, D., Hou, F., Bi, F., Jiao, R., Song, K., & Jiang, Y. (2021). Sex differences and psychological stress: responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in China. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-10085-w