Personal Growth and Covid-19 Distress

Abstract

"Various psychological reactions, found to traumatic distress, are widely known in psychological literature. Based on 30-years theoretical and empirical studies of extreme human experience, we suggested unconventional approach to differentiation of psychological reactions and human behavior in various extreme events into three groups:1) distress, disorganization, disorders, traumatization; 2) adaptation, hardiness, resilience; 3) personal growth, transgression (Magomed-Eminov M., 1998, 2007). The proposed research is devoted to the positive psychological consequences of COVID-19 disease. Our aim was to study the positive psychological influence of COVID-19 disease for lifestyle, behavior, communication, life relationships, and well-being of people, who were ill. We suggested and checked the hypothesis, that objectively serious COVID-19 disease, carrying uncertainty, confusion, horror, for many people discover also a heroism, pride, the experience of success because of coping with disease. We collected the narratives of people, who got COVID-19, and conducted content analysis. Our study showed that after being ill COVID-19 interviewed people discovered new meanings of existence, despite the loss of loved ones, socio-economic difficulties and other hardships of COVID- 19 pandemics. We conclude that COVID-19 disease as extreme situation not only becomes a test, but can also open up new perspectives, value of other people and of life in general."