COVID-19 vs. terrorism: Contribution of the COR theory to the process of coping with invisible threats

Abstract

Two years have passed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire world is still struggling with the virus and its mutations, and governments have been imposing various restrictions, including social distancing and quarantine. This paper leans on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theoretical model in comparing the impact of COVID-19 with that of an ongoing threat of terror attacks, allowing us to understand the similarities and differences between them. Such exploration could result in an understanding that may guide devising psycho-social interventions to minimize the negative psychological consequences of a continuous life-threatening situation. By applying the extensive available literature on the aftermath of terrorist attacks to the little-known long-run consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper comes up with several guidelines such as increasing online social support and enhancing adaptive coping with stress, that are applicable on the individual, community, and societal levels.

Buffering the Effects of Burnout on Healthcare Professionals’ Health—The Mediating Role of Compassionate Relationships at Work in the COVID Era

“…The COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences constituted a prolonged loss of resources and posed significant challenges to resource gathering processes. While this is true for any person experiencing the outbreak [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ], people who worked on the frontline in managing the pandemic may have suffered directly from the loss (or the potential loss) of these types of resources. Among such effects, burnout emerges as a potential form of resource loss for healthcare professionals [ 6 , 8 , 53 ].…”

“…Building on these considerations, it is crucial to identify valuable resources at work (i.e., protective factors) that may foster resource gain spirals in healthcare workers. Considering the COR-based approach and the COVID-19 outbreak [ 51 ], this is especially crucial for healthcare workers dealing with the management and consequences of the pandemic. According to the most recent integration of the COR theory, namely the crossover model [ 73 , 74 ], psychological states are transmitted across individuals so that relationships at work allow for resource gains.…”

Aggressive Measures, Rising Inequalities and Mass Formation During the COVID-19 Crisis: An Overview and Proposed Way Forward

“…de Jong et al, 2020), see Figure 2 for a downward spiral in resources). This can be traumatic for many people, especially given the unpredictability about the duration and intensity of the situation (Shelef et al, 2022). Fear has been identified as a strong predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder and this is often accompanied by negative thoughts about the self, others and the world (Shelef et al, 2022).…”

“…This can be traumatic for many people, especially given the unpredictability about the duration and intensity of the situation (Shelef et al, 2022). Fear has been identified as a strong predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder and this is often accompanied by negative thoughts about the self, others and the world (Shelef et al, 2022). This is compounded by a worldwide sense of insecurity, and loss of personal and social security (Kalinowski et al, 2022), leading to psychological symptoms of grief (Shelef et al, 2022).…”

“…Fear has been identified as a strong predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder and this is often accompanied by negative thoughts about the self, others and the world (Shelef et al, 2022). This is compounded by a worldwide sense of insecurity, and loss of personal and social security (Kalinowski et al, 2022), leading to psychological symptoms of grief (Shelef et al, 2022). Also, job loss has been associated with symptoms of grief and loss of meaning in life (Crayne, 2020).…”