Stress, anxiety, and Covid-19: the common denominator is the psyche

Stress: Do we recognize it?

ItStress is clinically identified as a non-specific response of our organism to any external stimulus (for example,Covid-19) or internal (the fear that arises from the situation we are experiencing) that constitutes a threat to our survival or stimulates an adaptive response aimed at re-establishing internal homeostasis (equilibrium).

The events that can causestress are called Stressors can be physical or psychological in nature. An event becomes stressful to the extent that a person appraises it as threatening.Unfortunately, Covid-19 has proven to be a truly threatening event. And this is where each individual’s emotional aspects come into play. The same event can be perceived differently by two people. And people’s reactions to a stressful event can also be very different.

Hans Selye defined stress syndrome in 1936 as “General Adaptation Syndrome”; or how

the response that the organism implements when subjected to the prolonged effects of various types of stressors, such as physical, mental, social or environmental stimuli, aimed at re-establishing a new internal balance.

In other words, it is the way of adaptation that can lead the individual to react to the alarm: facing it or running away (‘’fight or flight’’).

Fear, worry andstress are therefore now quite common conditions experienced following the pandemicCovid-19. Conditions that persist, however, and a resolution still appears far off. Increased anxiety and agitation related to the global pandemic and the increasingly restrictive measures to prevent contagion have been documented by several studies. Help is necessary and indispensable; and in the fight against the pandemic, it has never been (and still is not) exclusively medical in nature. Psychological help is also, and above all, necessary.

Stress and anxiety from Covid-19: the numbers speak for themselves.

In Wuhan, a study was conducted in the first two weeks of lockdown to evaluate the psychosocial effects of quarantine. It emerged that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, andstress was twice as high in subjects who had been in non-risk areas compared to those who had been in risk areasCovid-19. This demonstrates that the fear of potential infection was a greater stressor than the actual infection itself. Furthermore, the results showed that mental health risks were greater in people who had actually experienced quarantine compared to those who had not.

In Italy, a more recent survey conducted by the Piepoli Institute for the National Council of the Order of Psychologists reports that the stress indicator stands at 64% (and is rising week by week). The data is worrying.

Already in the early months of the pandemic, the World Health Organization warned of the repercussions coronavirus anxiety could have on people and called for enhanced treatment. Today, a year and several months later, the WHO is raising a new alarm: about the psychological impact the ongoing emergency will have, not only on those with existing health conditions, but on everyone. A study highlights how during past epidemics, such as SARS, MERS, and Ebola, quarantine caused high levels of anxiety and depression in those who experienced it.stress. And psychological suffering and worry are also detected in the current situation, in relation to the pandemic fromCovid-19. Mental health experts fear a surge in mental health problems.

The National Council of the Order of Psychologists has also been raising this alarm for some time:

"A major wave of post-traumatic stress disorder, which will affect many Italians, and which could represent the true cost of the ongoing crisis." (CNOP)

The Covid-19 pandemic is reportedly significantly increasing mental distress worldwide, which will need to be addressed and contained by various national health services. In Italy alone, according to a recent survey by the Piepoli Institute commissioned by the National Council of the Order of Psychologists, more than 60% of Italians are suffering fromstress due to the pandemicCovid-19, and 43% of them are experiencing its peak level.



Still in terms of numbers, which give a good idea of ​​the general picture, it is enough to report that over 50 thousand phone calls were received, with a real peak in daily calls during the lockdown, A toll-free number for psychological support, activated during the first lockdown by the Ministry of Health and Civil Protection for the Covid-19 emergency. The reasons for using the service were anxiety (14%), depression (13%), or, more frequently, generalized worry and other pre-existing issues that emerged due to the emergency (over 40%).



The main symptoms identified are anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, depression, and digestive problems. These symptoms are caused not only by the infection itself but also by the context of social distancing and quarantine, with the devastating and understandable impact of concerns about economic hardship.



Support initiatives: stress and anxiety are the daily virus

There has been no shortage of support initiatives and they are not lacking; because the pandemic is still ongoing: let us remember, first of all, the one promoted byINAIL in collaboration with theCNOP. The aim was, and still is, to contribute to the management of thestress and prevention of burnout among all healthcare workers involved in the emergencyCOVID-19 with the publication on the website of procedural guidelines and useful tools for implementing individual interventions in the community. The initiative specifically included the creation of task forces of psychologists in healthcare facilities nationwide to provide support services for staff experiencing chronic stress caused by the current health emergency.



As previously mentioned, the Ministry of Health and Civil Protection have activated a toll-free number for psychological support during the Covid-19 emergency. Public authorities are present throughout the country with data and precautionary and prevention recommendations. For example, the authorities of Ministry of Health andThe Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National Institute of Health), active and operational on various topics: epidemiological data, vaccine updates, and supplements to support the most complete information possible. Indeed, during a pandemic (and we can only talk about a few of them, fortunately), as in everyday life, more could always be done; but what we can do shouldn't be ignored. With the resources available, of course.



In the fight against Covid-19, resilience overcomes anxiety and stress.

The first step in combating anxiety and stress from Covid-19, therefore, is how you approach and respond to the situation you're experiencing. You need to learn to be more resilient.



Resilience: the ability to cope positively with negative events and can be strengthened by each of us, especially when we are motivated to do so by particular circumstances.

To develop it, it is necessary to adopt a constructive attitude, organizing oneself while remaining sensitive and open to the opportunities that life can offer in every situation, even negative ones, without alienating one's identity.







Resilience, therefore, is the first upgrade we need to make; in this, as in many other situations, it helps us see what many identify as "the light at the end of the tunnel." In the meantime, when the tunnel seems longer than usual, as during the pandemic, it's worth organizing well to navigate it as peacefully as possible.