Anxiety, Beliefs and Covid-19 in Two Periods of the Pandemic in Brazil: A comparative study

Abstract

This research compared evocations regarding the term “coronavirus” during two different periodsin the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil in 2020 — March (beginning of the pandemic in the country)and June (Brazil as the epicenter of the pandemic) —, considering the presence or absence ofanxiety symptoms in participants. The methodology adopted the free evocation technique and theGeneralized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2) symptom scale. The sample was composed of 5,961 womenand 1,153 men. Participant selection was relegated to convenience sampling by means of an onlinequestionnaire. Results showed that the coronavirus had diff erential impacts among the groups thatwere assessed and according to the time of data collection. In general, in March, people with anxietysymptoms had a more catastrophic view of the future, while people without those symptoms had aless unfavorable repertoire to adjust to the situation. In June, both groups reported a negative viewof the scenario, indicating a decrease or exhaustion in their capacity for psychological adjustment.This suggests the possibility of an increase of some conditions that result in adaptive impairment,exhaustion, and mental illness. Finally, it is important to understand people’s beliefs about the coronavirusat diff erent times of the pandemic because it is a favorable period for the emergence and/orintensification of mental disorders.