The psychological state of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and the target of psychological work

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic represents vital threat for humanity. Such pandemic factors as threat to life, invisibility of threats, uncertainty of the future, inability to control a situation allow for comparison of the pandemic with traumatic events that have already been studied, such as natural or technogenic disasters, hostilities, etc. The pandemic is therefore assumed to have a high capacity for generating current stress as well as subsequent post-stress states. It requires to investigate characteristics of mental state of those who feel the need for psychological assistance in order to highlight therapeutic targets.
Methods. The study was conducted online by means of google-forms. Links to the survey were posted on Facebook. The survey was carried from March 22, 2020 to March 28, 2020. It involved 232 participants, including 198 women and 34 men. General questions covered demographics, need for psychological assistance as well as basic assessment of respondents’ state. The questionnaires SCL-90-R, COPE, CTI (adapted), "Impulsivity 7" were also applied.
Results: 22% of participants (50 women, 2 men) reported the need for psychological assistance, the remaining participants comprised control group. Higher level of psychopathological symptoms and suicidal risk were revealed among those who felt the need for psychological assistance compared to the control group. Also, the study group showed lower level of coping strategies and higher degree of empathy.  Lastly, the participants who reported the need for psychological assistance exhibited significantly greater compliance with the rules that impede the spread of COVID-19.
Conclusions: Our study revealed high level of need for psychological support, associated with increased level of stress, increased psychopathological symptoms and decreased ability to cope with stress. The following psychotherapeutic targets were distinguished: 1. Prevention of suicidal behavior; 2. Restoring life prospects; 3. Emotional self-regulation training; 4. Providing digital alternatives of leisure; 5. Developing and promotion of accessible forms of active stress coping; 6. Developing recommendations for sleep normalization; 7. Correction of perfectionism; 8. Strengthening emotional support for people following the recommended pandemic actions. In order to reduce delayed effects of a long-acting stressful factor, it is necessary to act both in individual psychological work and in the field of psycho-education.