Psychological
Aspects
in time of
Pandemic
Juan Moisés de la Serna
Translated by Jacqueline Passfield
Tektime Editorial
2020
“Psychological Aspects in time of Pandemic”
Written by Juan Moisés de la Serna
Translated by Jacqueline Passfield
1st edition: November 2020
© Juan Moisés de la Serna, 2020
© Tektime Editions, 2020
All rights reserved
Distributed by Tektime
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Prologue
In light of the very positive reception to the article entitled “Cual es el papel del psicólogo ante el nuevo Coronavirus (COVID-19)?” (“What is the role of psychology in the face of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19)?”) published in La Cátedra Abierta de Psicología y Neurosciencias on 12th February 2020, and the general interest evoked amongst fellow psychologists and other people with an interest in psychology, I have decided to produce this book, which addresses the subject of the psychological perspective in times of a pandemic.
Despite the fact that information concerning health crises such as COVID-19 is very recent and in some cases quite changeable, I am going to present a work based on current data sourced principally from scientific publications, and which will include, from the same sources, statements from various experts.
A book accessible to all who wish to delve into the psychological aspects of a mass phenomenon in times of a health crisis, as in the case of COVID-19..
Dedicated to my parents
INDEX
Chapter 1: Introduction to COVID-19
Chapter 2. Reactions to COVID-19
Decisions in the face of COVID-19
Racism in the face of COVID-19
Chapter 3. Mental Health and Lockdown
Chapter 1: Introduction to COVID-19
One may speak of a personal or a social crisis. A personal crisis takes place when an internal or external circumstance occurs which changes the manner in which an individual perceives their own present, future and even past, making them question either their own role in life, or all their thoughts and beliefs up to that particular moment. Such is the case when a family member, particularly a close one, dies, or an accident occurs, with associated health or autonomy implications. One may also face a crisis due to emotional issues, such as the breakdown of a relationship, or the divorce of one’s parents as a teenager. From a psychological perspective, such crises are viewed as being caused by the effect of many different circumstances upon an individual. But then there are the social crises, as in the cases of humanitarian crises, where millions of people abandon all they have and flee towards an uncertain future. Likewise, economic crises, where thousands of people lose their jobs overnight and with them their incomes, putting both their own survival and those of their loved ones at risk (@NTN24ve, 2018) (See Illustration 1).
Included in this type of crisis are those related to health, in which a disease may put at risk the life of an individual who, a few days earlier was perfectly healthy. Pandemics and health emergencies may be included in this category, as in the case of COVID-19, a disease that has mobilized thousands of doctors and health personnel who struggle daily, even risking their own lives, in mitigating
Illustration 1. Tweet – Humanitarian Crisis
[Venezuela enters the list of countries with humanitarian crises, headed by Africa]
