The Coronavirus has caused an uncertain situation worldwide that, beyond varying day by day, leaves unclear and somewhat confusing information, sometimes even contradictory.
Not knowing what will happen in the coming days implies a lack of control over the situation, thus generating bewilderment and discomfort in the general population.
Thus, we are facing an unprecedented event that, in addition to having a great impact on people’s emotional state, may cause some of them to require psychological attention to manage and make the most of this unusual situation.
Psychological Intervention in Cases of Uncertainty
For these cases,Ana Villarrubia, a psychologist specializing in psychotherapy and a lecturer for the ISEP Master’s in Clinical and Health Psychology, proposes a psychological intervention with the following objectives:
- Provide security, support, and empathy (Bateman and Fonagy, 2012).
- Provide psychoeducation on the process of uncertainty and its functioning (Botella, 2008).
- Identify and restructure erroneous thoughts on the subject (Font, 2013).
- Promote problem-solving mechanisms not solely based on worry (D’Zurilla and Nezu, 2004).
- Help recognize worries and tolerate uncertainty (Ladouceur, Bélanger and Léger, 2008).
Cognitive Behavioral Techniques
Likewise, the cognitive behavioral techniques that will allow achieving these objectives are:
- Emotional ventilation: promotes emotional processing, that is, it aims for the person to identify repressed negative emotions (fear, anxiety, uncertainty) and express them. In this way, the person is prevented from establishing non-adaptive or disruptive cognitive patterns and behaviors.
- Deactivation: this is a set of relaxation techniques (breathing control, progressive muscle relaxation, pleasant and relaxing visualizations…) with which physiological activation is reduced. If the person’s emotional reactivity does not decrease after applying these techniques, the need to resort to emergency services should be assessed (Muñoz, Ausín y Pérez, 2007).
- Psychoeducation on anxiety: consists of providing a psychoeducational explanation that helps the person implement the previous deactivation techniques (breathing, pleasant visualizations. ABC Model…).
Tips to Alleviate Uncertainty
However, in addition to using these cognitive behavioral techniques, there are certain recommendations that will allow the person to feel some relief from the uncertainty caused by this situation, thus also increasing their tolerance index. Some of them are:
- Limit access to information to a maximum of twice a day.
- Cross-reference the consulted information with official sources to verify its veracity.
- Shift the focus of attention to other aspects of life.
- Resort to distraction techniques such as singing a song, counting objects, cooking, reading, or painting, among others.
- Create a routine with daily activities.
- Carry out tasks that normally cannot be done due to lack of time.
- Engage in conversations with family and friends that have nothing to do with the current situation.
In any case, the psychologist’s role in these cases is to provide the person with different cognitive strategies that allow them to turn this context of uncertainty into an opportunity to learn and continue growing.