UNS – The novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 which spread widely in most of the countries including Indonesia has caused physical symptoms and illness as well as a psychological effect on an infected person and the wide community.
The faculty member of Psychology Program Faculty of Medical Science (FK) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Rini Setyowati, M.Psi., Psikolog stated that for the person infected with Covid-19 the psychological effects that can be felt such as feeling depressed, stressed, anxious when they were tested positive for Covid-19. Patients can feel anxious or worried excessively when their privacy or identity is leaked to the public and they got ostracized by their environment.
“In this condition, the reaction of the patient can be dishonest with their illness, their previous travel, and contacts with Covid-19 patients to the medical personnel. Other reactions are feeling anxious about the slow result after medical treatment. For the wider community it can cause stress and anxiety with the news of increasing Covid-19 patients,” Rini said to uns.ac.id, Thursday (19/3/2020).
Rini added that confusing and fake news can trigger stress on the community that will affect stress hormone which causes decreasing the immune system and make (someone) more susceptible to contracting Covid-19.
“The reaction of society can be in the form of overprotecting themselves and their family. For example, by washing hands many times, cleaning the house and its environment continuously,” added Rini who is also a Psychologist at Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarta Hospital (RS UNS).
Further, this can cause obsessive-compulsive symptoms, a mental disorder that causes sufferers to feel the need to do a repeated action. If they do not perform the action, they will be in anxiety or fear. But we cannot deny that some people did not follow government policy for 14 days of activities from home (learning, working, and praying at home) and still visiting recreational destinations. The community needs to be educated about the importance of following government policy and the impact of their actions on their family and the community.
Then, how do we anticipate the psychological impact of Covid-19? We need a strategic coping strategy, an adaptive way of solving problems both from the patients and the community in general. The anxiety, stress, and worries when managed well will direct the individual to appropriate self-protection and by increasing religiosity, because they can get closer to God. On the contrary, if the strategy is maladaptive coping, it does not rule out the possibility that individuals can experience distress, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms or other psychological problems.
Rini explained there are suggestions from Indonesian Psychology Association for the community concerning the Covid-19 spread shortened into PSIKOLOGI. First, Perhatikan Kesehatan (pay attention to health); secondly, social distancing; third, Ingatlah menjaga kebersihan (maintain cleanliness); fourth Konsumsi buah, vitamin dan makanan bergizi (consume fruits, vitamin, and nutritious foods); fifth, Olah pikir, olah rasa and meminimalisir kecemasan (manage your thought, manage your feeling, and reduce anxiety); sixth, Lakukan kebiasaan baik dengan menutup mulut, hidung ketika batuk dan bersin serta hindari menyentuh bagian wajah dengan tangan (cover mouth when coughing and sneezing and avoid touching face); seventh, Olahraga secara teratur (exercise regularly); eighth, Gunakan masker (wear mask), and ninth, Ingatlah untuk berdoa (remember to pray). Humas UNS/Dwi