Coping strategies associated to widespread fear and post-traumatic stress criteria in a Mexican sample during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the population generating widespread fear due to people’s perception that both their health and safety are at risk. Widespread fear, a synonym for social anxiety, is associated with affective intrusive cognitions. Likewise, it is related to symptoms of...
| Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Country: | México |
| Institution: | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Repository: | Redalyc-UNAM |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:redalyc.org:58269267002 |
| Online Access: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=58269267002 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/582/58269267002/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/582/58269267002/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/582/58269267002/58269267002.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/582/58269267002/movil |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Medicina post widespread fear traumatic stress Coping strategies Mexican population |
| Summary: | Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the population generating widespread fear due to people’s perception that both their health and safety are at risk. Widespread fear, a synonym for social anxiety, is associated with affective intrusive cognitions. Likewise, it is related to symptoms of post-traumatic stress, physiological intrusive and eluding coping responses, and could be associated with long-term vulnerability to develop PTSD.Objective To assess the association between coping strategies, widespread fear to COVID-19, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in Mexican population exposed to the SARS-CoV2 pandemic.Method A cross sectional, empirical, descriptive study through survey research was performed; 370 participants were sampled by nationality quotas, and they completed digital self-informed instruments on an on-line psychosocial intervention. Sample size was estimated using a power analysis.Results Findings showed reliable indicators between physiological coping and PTSD symptoms. There was a 42% variance related to PTSD delayed intrusive cognitive responses, a 40% variance was related to PTSD negative alterations in cognitions and mood, a 31% variance was explained by hyperarousal responses, and a 29% of the variance represented PTSD avoidance symptoms. Widespread fear of COVID-19 was explained by affective behavioral coping strategies linked also to PTSD symptoms.Discussion and conclusion Research found consistency between findings and theories on emotion-centered strategies, which in turn were are related to affective coping around widespread fear to COVID-19 and avoidance intrusive symptoms, physiological coping with avoidance, considering future community post-traumatic stress traits and anxiety disorders in Mexican communities exposed to the pandemic, linking strategies with community trauma. |
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