Psychological reactions of the population as a factor of adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

One of the many negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is the “secondary epidemic” of negative psychological effects The aim of the study was to identify socio-psychological factors associated with adaptive behavior in the population. Materials and methods: an on-line survey of 1957 Russian-speaking respondents over 18 years old was performed from 30.03.2020 to 05.04.2020. The level of anxiety distress was verified with the psychological stress scale (PSM-25). Dispersion analyses were used (p<0.05). The size of the effects (SE) was evaluated according to Cohen’s d and Cramer’s V criteria. Results: Increased levels of psychological stress were associated with self-isolation (SE=0.13), social distancing (SE=0.14) and antiseptic usage (SE=0.11). The scores of psychological stress were higher in individuals who search the media for coronavirus news more than once or twice a day (SE=0.11). At the same time, the frequency of requests for information about COVID-19 was not linearly associated to the individuals fears for their own lives. The concerns about the availability of protective equipment were specifically associated to compliance with self-isolation measures (SE=0.1). The combination of concerns about the contagiousness of the virus and the unavailability of medication for daily intake were associated with the principles of social distance (SE=0.12 and SE=0.11 respectively). Moreover, concerns about the lack of specific treatment for COVID-19, the danger to one’s own life, the contagiousness of the virus and the lack of protective equipment were associated with the protective behaviours related to hand hygiene (SE=0.12, SE=0.12, SE=0.11, SE=0.11 respectively). Wearing a mask was characterized by the same anxiety patterns as hand hygiene, but their association was inverse (respectively SE=0.13, SE=0.12, SE=0.14, SE=0.15). The most common type of anxious experience — fear for the health of relatives — was not specifically associated with certain types of behavior and accompanied each of its variants. Conclusion: Psychological reactions of the population to the COVID-19 pandemic are specifically associated with adaptive behavior in the dynamics of anti-epidemic measures.