Boom of depression and growing obsessions: the burden of the epidemic on mental health

PAVIA. Anxiety in the first wave, depression with an experience of anger in the second. The toll we have paid and are paying to the Coronavirus is not measured only by the number of newly infected or with the macabre daily death count. The mind has had to adapt to “a world that is no longer the same”, according to a fairly common definition. Valter Furlano, 60, a psychiatrist from Grosseto but from Voghera by adoption, who grew up at Professor Cassano’s school in Pisa, studies the way in which the pandemic “shapes” individuals and masses.

Doctor Furlano, how is emotional distress changing in the face of the evolution of the pandemic?

«Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, contamination phobia, is increasing. The conduct of those who run to wash their hands every time they touch a handle, entering a vicious dysfunctional circle. We have witnessed the proliferation of panic attacks in the first phase, while in this second wave depressive experiences with veins of anger prevail ».

Do you mean frustration?

«The symptom of” hopeless “prevails, the loss of motivation. And then, unfortunately, in clinical practice there are also cases of post-traumatic stress disorders, especially in those who have experienced a bereavement ».

You also speak of “disinformation contagion”. What is that?

«It is a phenomenon that also occurred in the first wave, with a strong anxiety linked to the fact that there were no certainties. We live in a global and connected society, between the internet and social networks. So it happens that the dissemination of news is faster than the formation of a scientific opinion. On social media, information is faster, but also accompanied by a lot of fake news ».

It is up to the individual to know how to distinguish them. Or not?

«Of course, and the serious media know how to convey information correctly. But the fact remains that to have solid scientific information it takes time, while people, in these cases, are “hungry” for news and look for them everywhere ».

And what happens?

“The consequence are senseless actions, such as the assault on the trains leading to the South when the first restrictions were about to arrive. It is the fear of the “dies irae”, of the end of the world. It is a psychosis of the multitude. The fear of contagion is atavistic, now it also brings with it an “emotional contagion” ».

Let’s go back to the individual. Why, after panic, does depression make its way?

«Because stress goes from acute to chronic. The first reaction is, in fact, panic, the classic “fight or flight” pattern. But when the stimulus lasts over time, it is as if the psychological resources are exhausted and the fact of feeling deprived of “normal” life can take away any motivation. We also lose the urge to follow the measures that instead, in a moment of alarm, seemed logical ».

How do you explain the Covid deniers?

«The emphasis of the pandemic – without wishing to enter into the merits of its gravity – exposes us to real“ psycho traps ”. You can react with panic or with denial, which is a protective mechanism. Then you can look for confirmation in groups that share the same vision, where perhaps people who have a leadership personality prevail. Unfortunately, on social networks everyone has the same voice, regardless of their real skills. However, at the end of this conversation, let me say something positive too ».

You are welcome.

“We finally have a vaccine that experts say is safe. It will be a valuable treatment for reformulating hope for the future. The pandemic has made us realize how vulnerable we are. Now, with the vaccine, the perspective changes, we have a direction in which to move. We can improve our adaptation strategies ». –

© REPRODUCTION RESERVED

–