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Behavior: Psychosocial control of COVID-19

Usha Kiran Subba

April 06, 2020
Last updated July 15, 2021


The extent of the COVID-19 virus’s spread will also depend on the actions of individuals, many of whom may lack any symptoms of infection—meaning a crucial factor that will determine the effectiveness of the new rules and regulations over several weeks or even months, is the way people behave. “A lot of the challenges that we’re facing right now are behavioral. “A lot of the challenges that we’re facing right now are behavioral challenges,” says Jon Jachimowicz, a professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School.

Only things that matter today are, if we do not survive today, there can be no tomorrow. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the lives of humans. It’s time to think about how to manage our lives in a world of contagion. The future can also be a survival instinct.

As British epidemiologist Adam Kucharski explains in The Rules of Contagion, four factors feed into R: the duration for which a person is infectious; the number of spreading opportunities per day during that infectious period; the probability that an opportunity leads to transmission; and the susceptibility of the population.

A review of advice from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Public Health England suggests 13 behaviors important to reducing transmission. The relative importance of each behavior may differ from country to country depending on the local context. Each of these behaviors requires sub-behaviors that may differ according to the situation. Each behavior involves different challenges in terms of the motivation, capability, and opportunity needed to enact them. We must be considering now how to meet these challenges.

Behavioral health practice is a multidisciplinary field that promotes optimal mental and physical health by maximizing biopsychosocial functioning. Evidence-based behavioral practice entails making decisions about how to promote healthful behaviors by integrating the best available evidence with practitioner expertise and other resources, and with the characteristics, state, needs, values, and preferences of those who will be affected.

Psychologists, economists, and neuroscientists around the world have been working at breakneck speeds to identify evidence-based solutions to those behavioral challenges using behavioral science to help fight the coronavirus.

The good news is that there is evidence from previous research that many individuals will act in ways that go against their best interests for the greater good. The paper also highlights three factors that would make such altruistic behavior more likely: clear communication, feeling a sense of community and some form of punishment—social disapproval, for example—for those who break the rules. Some countries have already introduced penalties, such as fines or even jail time, to enforce lockdowns or quarantines.

In the last few weeks, People have reacted differently to the disruptions from COVID-19 and explain their experience. There has been an overwhelming feeling of unfairness and uncertainty about how life will be tomorrow, next week or a month, the level of anxiety many of us have had to process has been high. The psychological stress has brought by COVID-19. However, in a world of uncertainty, Hindu Dharma teachings and practices help take care of ourselves in the most essential and basic ways.

Accept your feelings: Angry, frustration, fear, loneliness…which we are all feeling to encounter the discomfort COVID-19 brings us. We cannot move on or overcome it, and suppression will bring psychological problems. Practice accepting what you’re feeling, and validating the feelings of those around you first. You’ll find that when you accept your feeling, rather fighting it, we can tap into our inherent goodness more easily. We can see the things more clearly, and choose the positive frames with which we take in the world around us, and the opportunities that have become available to us — to spend more time on ourselves or with our loved ones together at home.

When you can or can’t controlled it, our dharma today is to first and foremost follow the guidelines being put out by our local, and our government to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities on small and large scales, remembering some of the many principles of dharma: Satya (truth), ahimsa (non-harming), Karuna (compassion), and aparigraha (non-greed) all grounded in our context, to make decisions while letting go of expectations of the results can bring much-needed clarity and peace.

Psychologists have also focused on objectively observable behaviors (karma) and discounts on any independent activities of the mind. Behavior theorists define learning as nothing more than the acquisition of new behavior based on environmental conditions. Behavior is formed by people interact with others and the culture they live in shape their mental abilities. Lev Vygotsky's cognitive theorist believed that parents, relatives, peers, and society all have an important role in forming higher levels of functioning. We found Psychologists love to encourage people to use all their senses in grounding techniques, and Hinduism offers many ways to engage. People follow those from their upbringing (childhood).

In this meantime, it is needed to understand Nepalese behavioral pattern which is almost forgotten or new learning has taken the place through the process of globalization. Behavior is a product of learning when it is leaned then we can unlearn, relearn and modify it according to the demanded situation. Many learning theories are postulated, simply said, operant conditioning describes how we repeat behaviors because they pay off for us. It is based on a principle authored by a psychologist named Thorndike (1874–1949) called the law of effect. The law of effect suggests that we will repeat an action if it is followed by a good effect.  On the other hand, Albert Bandura is a leading contributor to social learning theory in which many of our actions are not learned through conditioning; rather, they are learned by watching others or modeling (1977).

Behaviorists used three principal learning – New Learning, Unlearning and Relearning. It is the time for Nepalese to relearn our cultural pattern of behavior for examples: maintain distance when you are together with others, wash hands always when you touch something, keep kitchen pure and clean not letting others enter in it, keep your shoes outside the home, greetings- Namaste joining your palm of hands together and follow the concept of hot and fresh food and concept of Jutho (impure in Nepali culture; we eat with our hands, and once I touch the food on my plate to my mouth, my hand and the whole plate of food are considered jutho). Vygotsky's Theory argues that cognitive abilities are socially guided and constructed. As such, culture serves as a mediator for the formation and development of specific abilities, such as learning. Learning is greatly influenced by how a culture socializes with its children and young people. People should relearn that unlearned behavior to combat with COVID-19, maintaining social distancing—all are impositions on the individual that benefit our fellow citizens. My behavior affects your chance of contracting the disease and your behavior affects mine. These sorts of collective action problems have been studied by behavioral psychologists for several decades.

Further, we have the ability and responsibility to take care of ourselves holistically-physical, mental and spiritual. Nourish yourself with exercise and food you enjoy, and use your time to do creative and productive work that helps you move towards your values, towards your dharma. Whether Karma is one of the traditional goals of human life as per our Hindu teachings and it is important to find both meaning and joy in these times.

Social distancing does not mean socially disconnected. People find many ways to connect with friends, family, and others through the internet get help and spend a quality of time with them.

Puja as an act of devotional call upon all the senses: the smell (olfactory) of Dhup (incense), the reverberation of a bell (auditory), visually pleasing murtis (idol), the sensation of bringing our palms together (cutaneous), and the taste (gustatory) of prasad melting on in our mouths together in a puja can be lovely ways to overcome stress.

Psychologists have proved what we know intuitively: music (singing) can decrease stress, and bhajans (devotional songs) with their uplifting lyrics, can bring peace of mind. Expressions of art and dancing make you busy and inspire to live a lively life.

Be careful about your distress and think when you need help from others or experts. If you’re feeling aches and pains which are not a medical basis, they may be related to suppressing stress or depression. If you feel like you can’t control your recurring thoughts, and are experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety-like sweating palms or shallow breathing, palpitation, you don’t have to keep suffering. There are many psychologists, psychotherapists, and counselors who listen to your problems and to come to clarity about what you need and how to get it.

There is Tele-Psychology/Tele-Mental Health services are provided by many associations and institutes, so seeking help is still feasible. Experts are always at your service just dial them in their given address and telephone/mobile numbers. Get psychosocial services and support and lead a normal life in quarantine.

These unprecedented times have brought unprecedented levels of distress upon us all, and taking care of ourselves is important. It’s important to be kind and patient with yourself, as you navigate your circumstances and figure out your dharma (duty) and do Karma (perform) at this moment. There is no doubt; humans can survive in any circumstances when they are willing to do it. Hence, follow the idiom “Live and Let Live”.

Usha Kiran Subba is the president of 'Association of Psychologists in Nepal'.

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