University of Coimbra, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CINEICC), Coimbra, Portugal.
Centre for Compassion Research and Training, College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2021 Dec 15;16(12):e0261384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261384. eCollection 2021.
Historically social connection has been an important way through which humans have coped with large-scale threatening events. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns have deprived people of major sources of social support and coping, with others representing threats. Hence, a major stressor during the pandemic has been a sense of social disconnection and loneliness. This study explores how people's experience of compassion and feeling socially safe and connected, in contrast to feeling socially disconnected, lonely and fearful of compassion, effects the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress.
Adult participants from the general population (N = 4057) across 21 countries worldwide, completed self-report measures of social connection (compassion for self, from others, for others; social safeness), social disconnection (fears of compassion for self, from others, for others; loneliness), perceived threat of COVID-19, post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress.
Perceived threat of COVID-19 predicted increased post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress. Social connection (compassion and social safeness) predicted higher post-traumatic growth and traumatic stress, whereas social disconnection (fears of compassion and loneliness) predicted increased traumatic symptoms only. Social connection heightened the impact of perceived threat of COVID-19 on post-traumatic growth, while social disconnection weakened this impact. Social disconnection magnified the impact of the perceived threat of COVID-19 on traumatic stress. These effects were consistent across all countries.
Social connection is key to how people adapt and cope with the worldwide COVID-19 crisis and may facilitate post-traumatic growth in the context of the threat experienced during the pandemic. In contrast, social disconnection increases vulnerability to develop post-traumatic stress in this threatening context. Public health and Government organizations could implement interventions to foster compassion and feelings of social safeness and reduce experiences of social disconnection, thus promoting growth, resilience and mental wellbeing during and following the pandemic.
从历史上看，社会联系一直是人类应对大规模威胁事件的重要方式。在 COVID-19 大流行的背景下，封锁剥夺了人们的主要社会支持和应对资源，而其他人则构成了威胁。因此，大流行期间的一个主要压力源是社会脱节和孤独感。本研究探讨了人们的同情心体验以及感到社会安全和联系（与感到社会脱节、孤独和害怕同情）如何影响对 COVID-19 感知威胁对创伤后成长和创伤后应激的影响。
来自全球 21 个国家的普通人群中的成年参与者（N=4057）完成了自我报告的社会联系（对自己、他人、他人的同情；社会安全感）、社会脱节（对自己、他人、他人的同情恐惧；孤独）、COVID-19 感知威胁、创伤后成长和创伤后应激的测量。
COVID-19 感知威胁预测创伤后成长和创伤后应激增加。社会联系（同情和社会安全感）预测更高的创伤后成长和创伤后应激，而社会脱节（对同情和孤独的恐惧）仅预测创伤后症状增加。社会联系增强了 COVID-19 感知威胁对创伤后成长的影响，而社会脱节则削弱了这种影响。社会脱节放大了 COVID-19 感知威胁对创伤后应激的影响。这些影响在所有国家都是一致的。
社会联系是人们适应和应对全球 COVID-19 危机的关键，并且可能在大流行期间经历的威胁背景下促进创伤后成长。相比之下，社会脱节会增加在这种威胁环境中发展创伤后应激的脆弱性。公共卫生和政府组织可以实施干预措施，培养同情心和社会安全感，减少社会脱节的体验，从而促进大流行期间和之后的成长、适应力和心理健康。
