The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context

Introduction The COVID-pandemic context is characterized by a global ambiguity, reflecting the unexpected onset of pandemic, unpredictability and amplitude of the related dangers, questionability and the side effects of the policy measures used to protect people. Objectives The development of th...

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Main Authors: E. Sokolova, A. Ryzhov, L. Pechnikova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-04-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007306/type/journal_article
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author E. Sokolova
A. Ryzhov
L. Pechnikova
author_facet E. Sokolova
A. Ryzhov
L. Pechnikova
author_sort E. Sokolova
collection DOAJ
description Introduction The COVID-pandemic context is characterized by a global ambiguity, reflecting the unexpected onset of pandemic, unpredictability and amplitude of the related dangers, questionability and the side effects of the policy measures used to protect people. Objectives The development of theoretical framework for understanding variability in the reactions to COVID situation and self-regulatory mechanisms. Methods Conceptualization and analysis of individual psychotherapy cases in the framework of psychodynamic approach. Results Five typical patterns of anxiety, defensive functioning and mentalization structures were identified: Paranoial pattern is marked by flooding with persecutory anxiety, exaggerated subjective uncertainty. reflected in chaotic boundlessness, incoherence, fantasies of hostility, splitting and polarization of self and others. Depressive pattern reflects inability to sustain ambiguity due to deficiency of internal supports, overly dependence on others, conformity, obedience to authority and denial of personal standards and individuality. Noogenic pattern refers to negative affective states, generated by the ambiguity, contradictions and ambivalence of information. The means to regulate it include the lowering of the level of psychical functioning, with cognitive simplification, preference for order, routine and predictability. Transgression pattern suggests maniacal fascination with the dissipation of limits, normative restraints and rules, and the triumph of the narcissistic-perfectionist permissiveness. Constructivity pattern consists of the pleasure from explorations and insights, creation of new meanings, creative reappraisal and reconstruction of ambiguous situations. Conclusions The typical patterns of experiencing ambiguity that were singled out may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in evaluating the individual resource potential in situations of COVID related dangers and isolation.
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spelling doaj.art-d19d0583220145fa806a2082953e56ea2023-11-17T05:07:07ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S272S27210.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.730The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic contextE. Sokolova0A. Ryzhov1L. Pechnikova2Faculty Of Psychology, Lomonosov MSU, Moscow, Russian FederationFaculty Of Psychology, Lomonosov MSU, Moscow, Russian FederationFaculty Of Psychology, Lomonosov MSU, Moscow, Russian Federation Introduction The COVID-pandemic context is characterized by a global ambiguity, reflecting the unexpected onset of pandemic, unpredictability and amplitude of the related dangers, questionability and the side effects of the policy measures used to protect people. Objectives The development of theoretical framework for understanding variability in the reactions to COVID situation and self-regulatory mechanisms. Methods Conceptualization and analysis of individual psychotherapy cases in the framework of psychodynamic approach. Results Five typical patterns of anxiety, defensive functioning and mentalization structures were identified: Paranoial pattern is marked by flooding with persecutory anxiety, exaggerated subjective uncertainty. reflected in chaotic boundlessness, incoherence, fantasies of hostility, splitting and polarization of self and others. Depressive pattern reflects inability to sustain ambiguity due to deficiency of internal supports, overly dependence on others, conformity, obedience to authority and denial of personal standards and individuality. Noogenic pattern refers to negative affective states, generated by the ambiguity, contradictions and ambivalence of information. The means to regulate it include the lowering of the level of psychical functioning, with cognitive simplification, preference for order, routine and predictability. Transgression pattern suggests maniacal fascination with the dissipation of limits, normative restraints and rules, and the triumph of the narcissistic-perfectionist permissiveness. Constructivity pattern consists of the pleasure from explorations and insights, creation of new meanings, creative reappraisal and reconstruction of ambiguous situations. Conclusions The typical patterns of experiencing ambiguity that were singled out may have diagnostic and prognostic significance in evaluating the individual resource potential in situations of COVID related dangers and isolation. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007306/type/journal_articleCovidmentalizationpsychological defencesself-regulation
spellingShingle E. Sokolova
A. Ryzhov
L. Pechnikova
The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
European Psychiatry
Covid
mentalization
psychological defences
self-regulation
title The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
title_full The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
title_fullStr The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
title_full_unstemmed The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
title_short The individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in COVID pandemic context
title_sort individual patterns of anxieties and defense mechanisms in covid pandemic context
topic Covid
mentalization
psychological defences
self-regulation
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821007306/type/journal_article
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