Practicing Social Isolation During a Pandemic in Brazil: A Description of Psychosocial Characteristics and Traits of Personality During COVID-19 Lockout

Abstract

The experience of the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus and the consequent disease triggered by it (COVID-19) brought to light fragilities that have been long overlooked by the scientific community and by various political and social institutions. The pandemic also brought to the fore certain social practices resulting from individual behaviors, such as wearing a mask and practicing social isolation. It demonstrated the need for social commitment and pro-social behaviors if societies are to respond successfully. The purpose of this article is to evaluate psychological and sociodemographic characteristics associated with compliance or noncompliance of individuals with these practices in two different phases of the pandemic experience in Brazil: in the first month and after three months. Participants for the first phase of the study were recruited through advertisements in the media and social networks. 1,914 individuals aged between 14 and 81 years agreed to participate, 78.2% of these were women, from 25 Federative Units in Brazil. In the second phase, 761 individuals who participated in the first phase, were reassessed. The authors used the following instruments for data collection: a standardized questionnaire collecting information of sociodemographic characteristics and dynamics of social isolation; the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; the Life Satisfaction Scale; the Positive and Negative Affections Scale; and the Reduced Personality Markers and Stress Mindset Scale. All instruments used presented evidence of validity and adequate reliability indexes. The comparison of categorical exploratory variables with motives for following social isolation protocols was performed using Pearson’s Chi-square, and the comparison of continuous exploratory variables was performed using the Mann-Whitney test. Covariance Analysis was performed using as covariates those that showed significance/effect on isolation in previous analyses. The results showed that respondents practicing social isolation to comply with governmental recommendations had lower scores on the scales of neuroticism and conscientiousness. They reported also less stress, anxiety, and depression, and less general distress. Overall, these respondents also displayed more positive affect, and tended to reframe stress in a more positive way than others. These preliminary results describe the psychological characteristics of individuals and their associations with social behaviors in a period of collective stress and high social risk.

Indicadores de saúde mental e de enfrentamento diante da covid-19

“…Quando tomados os resultados das análises de diferenças de médias, foi possível identificar a presença de maior ansiedade e estresse estatisticamente significativa nas participantes do sexo feminino. Este dado é coerente com os estudos realizados quanto a diferenças de experiência de sofrimento mental entre homens e mulheres (Lipp & Lipp, 2020;Zanini et al, 2021). Psicol.…”

“…As ações de enfrentamento à pandemia também trouxeram impactos para a rotina familiar. Isto porque as indicações de fechamento de creches e escolas e a necessidade do ensino e do trabalho remoto trazem modificações importantes para o convívio social, para o estabelecimento de redes de suporte, e alterações nos papéis familiares (Zanini et al, 2021), assim como implicam alterações relacionadas aos aspectos econômicos e de acesso a serviços . Diante destas questões, pode-se notar que o cenário da pandemia da Covid-19 contribuiu para o agravamento do sofrimento psicológico, elevando a frequência de sintomas de ansiedade, depressão e estresse nos indivíduos (Lipp & Lipp, 2020;Zanon et al, 2020).…”

Negatywne reakcje emocjonalne na stres pandemii wirusa SARS-CoV-2: rola stresorów, cech osobowości i poznawczych strategii regulacji emocji zorientowanych na unikanie

“…Rola sumienności wydaje się być znacząca ze względu na konieczność dostosowania się do zasad bezpieczeństwa i tzw. reżimu sanitarnego, co z kolei pozwala na zmniejszenie poczucia stresu związanego z zagrożeniem zakażenia i zachorowania (Nudelman i in., 2021;Zanini, Peixoto, Andrade, Tramonte, 2021).…”

The Effect of Metabolic Control on Diabetes Complication Rates and the Need for Medical Care During COVID-19 Social Isolation in Adjara, Georgia

“…The study conducted on 63 patients with diabetes in Italy amidst isolation reported improvements in metabolic parameters [ 17 ], while a deterioration in the same parameters was observed in India. In Brazil, an initial deterioration was observed after analyzing 24-month data, especially among the patients receiving public services [ 18 ]. The Nordic study group published another extensive review describing the frequency of loneliness being experienced and the emotional status of the patients [ 19 ].…”