Coping strategies associated to widespread fear and post-traumatic stress criteria in a Mexican sample during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the population generating widespread fear due to people’s perception that both their health and safety are at risk. Widespread fear, a synonym for social anxiety, is associated with affective intrusive cognitions. Likewise, it is related to symptoms of post-traumatic stress, physiological intrusive and eluding coping responses, and could be associated with long-term vulnerability to develop PTSD. Objective To assess the association between coping strategies, widespread fear to COVID-19, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in Mexican population exposed to the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Method A cross sectional, empirical, descriptive study through survey research was performed; 370 participants were sampled by nationality quotas, and they completed digital self-informed instruments on an on-line psychosocial intervention. Sample size was estimated using a power analysis. Results Findings showed reliable indicators between physiological coping and PTSD symptoms. There was a 42% variance related to PTSD delayed intrusive cognitive responses, a 40% variance was related to PTSD negative alterations in cognitions and mood, a 31% variance was explained by hyperarousal responses, and a 29% of the variance represented PTSD avoidance symptoms. Widespread fear of COVID-19 was explained by affective behavioral coping strategies linked also to PTSD symptoms. Discussion and conclusion Research found consistency between findings and theories on emotion-centered strategies, which in turn were are related to affective coping around widespread fear to COVID-19 and avoidance intrusive symptoms, physiological coping with avoidance, considering future community post-traumatic stress traits and anxiety disorders in Mexican communities exposed to the pandemic, linking strategies with community trauma.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Chávez-Valdez,Sarah Margarita, Domínguez Rodríguez,Alejandro, Esparza-Del Villar,Oscar Armando, Hernández Jiménez,María Jesús, Rosa-Gómez,Anabel de la, Arenas-Landgrave,Paulina, Martínez-Luna,Sofía Cristina, Ramírez-Martínez,Flor Rocío, Salinas-Saldívar,Jasshel Teresa
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz 2021
Online Access:	http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0185-33252021000400159
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!