The psychology of the COVID-19 pandemic: A group-level perspective

Objective: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threatened not only people's physical health but also every aspect of their psychological well-being: from their struggle to avoid contracting the disease, to their coping with the disruption of the normal course of their lives, to the trauma they endured when the virus took the lives of those they loved The objective of this article is to consider the group-level processes that sustain people's physical and psychological well-being during COVID-19 Method: Applying group dynamic and group therapy theory and research, we explore why COVID-19 spread so rapidly We also explore how people cope with prolonged social isolation, distress, and social inequities, as well as how people deal with the psychological trauma of the disease, which includes heightened levels of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and complicated bereavement Results: Researchers and theorists suggest that human beings are fundamentally social, and the need to gather with others is extremely important, especially during times of distress The need to belong as well as the importance of reducing loneliness during uncertain times often encourages people to connect, despite recommendations to remain socially distant Conclusions: Group treatment options developed by group psychotherapists are effective at reducing depression, anxiety, complicated grief, and stress We conclude by examining the growing impact of online groups and the many ways that these groups help people improve their psychological well-being during the COVID-19 crisis (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Highlights and Implications-*Group dynamic theorists and researchers provide important contributions to the understanding of the prevention of COVID-19 Group dynamics explain why some people perceive less of a threat and why some people refuse to wear face masks or social distance *Group psychotherapy researchers and practitioners describe the importance of group leadership, group cohesion, and the effects of loneliness and social isolation on people coping with COVID-19 *Given the mental and physical health challenges we face with COVID-19, online group and group therapy interventions are becoming more prevalent The importance of future studies examining the effectiveness of online groups (both support and therapy) are necessary We also need studies that examine what individual difference variables influence the effectiveness of online group interventions, such as age, race, class, ethnicity, culture, attachment style, and level of isolation *One of the main implications of this article is that it is critical to examine the group-level factors that influence how we navigate a pandemic Groups influence how we prevent the transmission of COVID-19, how we sustain ourselves during periods of social isolation, and how we address the effects of complicated bereavement, trauma, illness, social inequities, unemployment, anxiety, and depression (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)