Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2022 Jan;135:105601. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105601. Epub 2021 Nov 20.
During pandemics, governments take drastic actions to prevent the spreading of the disease, as seen during the present COVID-19 crisis. Sanctions of lockdown, social distancing and quarantine urge people to exclusively work and teach at home and to restrict social contacts to a minimum; lonely people get into further isolation, while families` nerves are strained to the extreme. Overall, this results in a dramatic and chronic increase in the level of psychosocial stress over several months mainly caused by i) social isolation and ii) psychosocial stress associated with overcrowding, social tension in families, and domestic violence. Moreover, pandemic-associated social restrictions are accompanied by loss of an essential stress buffer and important parameter for general mental and physical health: social support. Chronic psychosocial stress and, in particular, social isolation and lack of social support affect not only mental health, but also the brain oxytocin system and the immune system. Hence, pandemic-associated social restrictions are expected to increase the risk of developing psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety-related and posttraumatic stress disorders, on the one hand, but also to induce a general inflammatory state and to impair the course of infectious disorders on the other. Due to its pro-social and stress-buffering effects, resulting in an anti-inflammatory state in case of disease, the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin will be discussed and critically considered as an emerging treatment option in cases of pandemic-induced psychosocial stress, viral infection and during recovery. In this review, we aim to critically focus on possible short- and long-term consequences of social restrictions on mental health and the immune system, while discussion oxytocin as a possible treatment option.
在大流行期间，各国政府采取严厉措施防止疾病传播，正如当前 COVID-19 危机期间所见。封锁、社交距离和隔离等制裁措施促使人们在家中独家工作和教学，并将社交接触限制在最低限度；孤独的人进一步被孤立，而家庭的神经则极度紧张。总体而言，这导致几个月来心理社会压力急剧和慢性增加，主要由以下原因造成：i）社会隔离和 ii）与过度拥挤、家庭中的社会紧张和家庭暴力相关的心理社会压力。此外，与大流行相关的社会限制伴随着丧失基本的压力缓冲和对一般心理和身体健康至关重要的参数：社会支持。慢性心理社会压力，特别是社会隔离和缺乏社会支持，不仅会影响心理健康，还会影响大脑催产素系统和免疫系统。因此，与大流行相关的社会限制预计会增加患上精神病理的风险，如抑郁、焦虑相关和创伤后应激障碍，另一方面，还会引起一般炎症状态，并损害传染病的病程。由于其促进社交和缓解压力的作用，在患病时会导致抗炎状态，因此将讨论神经肽催产素的作用，并将其作为治疗大流行引起的心理社会压力、病毒感染和康复期间的潜在治疗选择进行批判性考虑。在这篇综述中，我们旨在批判性地关注社会限制对心理健康和免疫系统的短期和长期后果，同时讨论催产素作为一种可能的治疗选择。
