Existential targets and psychological reactions relevant for the work of psychologists in situations of outbreaks of infectious diseases with high stress potential

Abstract

Infectious disease is transmitted quickly and imperceptibly, which creates a psychological mechanism of a high degree of fear. During a viral epidemic, a person is both a victim and a carrier, and, at the same time, he can become the object of repressive measures by state bodies aimed at ensuring collective security. In terms of their impact and psychological consequences, these factors can be considered as an invasion of the enemy, which can lead to a sharp and disproportionate increase in anxiety and fear, discrimination and stigmatization. Often occurring, in connection with epidemics, restriction of freedom of movement, quarantine measures are a factor in enhancing psychopathological symptoms.The situation of mental trauma due to the spread of an infectious disease is considered in the article as a challenge to psychological science, and the author offers some answers to it based on the principles of existential psychology. Therefore, the challenges of modern reality explained in the article are being interpreted as existential challenges.The main feature of the modern world is called the challenge to change, the ability to change, while the ability of a person to change is explained by the author as a resource and its development, its preservation.The author of the article relies on a world view close to the position of W. Frankl’s tragic optimism – only own actions make sense to believe as a source of hope, only own efforts can help prevent the worst. Such a semantic position helps to understand the idea of constructive pessimism: than relying on the best and relaxing, it is better to prepare for the worst in order to deal with it as close to reality as possible.The situation of the spread of an infectious disease and the possibility of mental trauma to a large number of people associated with it raises