Pandemic, thy name is fear

Covid-19 triggered an amplified response compared to previous pandemics because of certain unique factors of the 21st century like digital advancement and global connectivity...

The human response to any pandemic ranges from fear and anxiety to anger and helplessness. The emotional turmoil is further fuelled by reasons like threat to survival, fear of infection, morbidity, unemployment, and the safety of loved ones. The Covid-19 pandemic is no different. Its varied presentations, limited medical understanding about the strains and the overall sense of uncertainty exerted a similar set of psychological and socioeconomic consequences throughout the world.

When the brain perceives a threat, it kicks off the survival mechanism by indulging in a more fear-driven behaviour, which includes three components: physiological, cognitive and behavioural. The physiological response is the ‘fight or flight’ programme, characterised by palpitations, tremors, difficulty in breathing, sleep disturbance and dizziness. The cognitive response involves a constant preoccupation with threat-provoking cognitions involving self or significant others. The behavioural response includes avoidance (crowded places, public transport), health-related safety (constant hand-washing, doom surfing) and reassurance-seeking behaviours (confirming absence of illness, repeated investigation and self-medication).

These experiences are further worsened in people with certain personality traits like high harm-avoidant practices, obsessive thinking, perfectionism, poor stress tolerance, limited social skills, paranoia and mistrust, leading to even more emotional distress.

Together with all these, Covid-19 triggered an amplified response compared to previous pandemics because of certain unique factors of the 21st century like digital advancement and global connectivity, which lead to mass exchange of information among people.

Pandemic or not, the masses respond to negative information more quickly with an anxiety-driven response towards the threat, both real and imaginary. The information overload challenges the individual’s cognitive capacity to analyse, interpret and act on the data received. At different stages of pandemic, people educated themselves with constantly evolving information and reoriented the threat perceived.

What is important though is to consider the congruent influence of other aspects of the pandemic -- the lockdown, work from home, home-schooling, social disruptions, strained interpersonal relationships and financial hardships -- on different age groups. These experiences can sometimes even trigger an anxiety response to Covid reinfection. But it is important to understand that human brain constantly evolves with learning and adapting through neuroplastic changes, be it with the onset of pandemic or post-pandemic periods.

It is important to mention that certain groups are more prone to negative experiences like the geriatric population, immunocompromised group, people with chronic conditions and mental illnesses compared to others.

The pandemic has made us realise that mental and emotional health is as important as physical well-being. One needs to work on physical and psychological hygiene besides work-life balance, strong social support systems, emotional regulation practices and mindfulness. Emotional health is an intricate, private and subjective understanding, which is essential for wellness but influenced by others’ opinions too. It is essential to educate ourselves in rationalising every bit of information we receive, seek opinion from different sources, and build perspectives before we reach conclusions, both in the real and digital worlds.

Dr Venkatesh Babu GM
Consultant, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Hospital, Bengaluru

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The New Indian Express
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