Psychological functioning in survivors of COVID-19: Evidence from recognition of fearful facial expressions

Abstract

Evidence about the psychological functioning in individuals who survived the COVID-19 infectious is still rare in the literature. In this paper, we investigated fearful facial expressions recognition, as a behavioural means to assess psychological functioning. From May 15th, 2020 to January 30th, 2021, we enrolled sixty Italian individuals admitted in multiple Italian COVID-19 post-intensive care units. The detection and recognition of fearful facial expressions were assessed through an experimental task grounded on an attentional mechanism (i.e., the redundant target effect). According to the results, our participants showed an altered behaviour in detecting and recognizing fearful expressions. Specifically, their performance was in disagreement with the expected behavioural effect. Our study suggested altered processing of fearful expressions in individuals who survived the COVID-19 infectious. Such a difficulty might represent a crucial sign of psychological distress and it should be addressed in tailored psychological interventions in rehabilitative settings and after discharge.

The Role of Psychological Support for Medical Personnel towards Anxiety Control of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Patients Undergoing Self-Isolation at Home

“…This can cause healthy and vulnerable individuals to engage in safe behavior. 9,10 Previous studies have shown an increase in fear (79%), anxiety (83%), and depression (38%) in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. 3 On the other hand, fear of COVID-19 has a huge impact on mental health.…”

Eksplorasi Pengalaman Hidup Pasca COVID-19 di Flores Nusa Tenggara Timur

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Inovasi Pelayanan Rumah Sakit Bagi Penyintas COVID-19: Tinjauan Literatur

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