Psychodemic: a Pandemic of the Minds

Oct 15, 2020
by Ryan Chou

Disclosure: The advice and statements below are based on my observations. Readers are advised to do their own research.

For seven months, I have been a volunteer of EndCoronavirus and Virus-Free Virginia. In this

time, I’ve interacted with a full spectrum of people, from those who are willing to fully lock

down, to those who won’t wear masks or physically distance. I’ve watched as our reaction to the

pandemic has progressed -and regressed- and through this, it has gradually become clear that we,

especially in the United States, are no longer only fighting the virus itself. Now, we are also

fighting the psychological effects of, and associated with, it. This is not only a pandemic; it’s

also a psychodemic.

What is psychodemic?

A psychodemic is a portmanteau for “psychological pandemic”, an informal term that, I believe,

accurately describes the psychological aspects of the pandemic and our responses to it that are

hindering our response. The psychodemic rests on three main pillars: misinformation, fatigue,

and psychic numbing.

Misinformation

Misinformation is any false information. There are two main types of misinformation. The first is

deliberate disinformation. This includes actively making claims that directly counteract research

or presenting false statistics. Others might include conspiracy theories or the belief that the virus

is a hoax. On the other hand, there is unintentional misinformation, which can be just as harmful.

Accidentally citing studies that are in progress or not reliable is one case. Another commonly

seen case is when “stable” numbers are presented as proof of an effective response, whereas in

reality, sharply declining numbers accurately represent a successful response.

Fatigue

COVID fatigue, or pandemic fatigue, is the idea that over time, people are less inclined to take

precautions to protect themselves and their community. This occurs for a multitude of reasons.

The first is the idea of an invisible risk. At the beginning of the virus, it was easy to act

heroically against this deadly threat. But gradually, many found that neither themselves nor the

people around them had been affected by the virus, not understanding that it was the precautions

that kept them safe. So they let go of the precautions. Other people simply found that the new

norm was unbearable. Massive shifts in lifestyle, such as mask-wearing or physical distancing,

were bearable in the short term, but unbearable in the long term.

Psychic Numbing

Psychic numbing is our inability to process the scale of the pandemic. Our reaction to the 40

million cases worldwide is no different than what our reaction to 40 thousand cases was. Human

compassion is severely limited and the sheer scale of the harm from this pandemic makes it

difficult to understand. For some, the sheer scale is overwhelming and creates a feeling that the

pandemic is simply beyond them, that nothing they do could possibly make a difference.

How do we respond?

Misinformation, fatigue, and psychic numbing have ultimately resulted in a disunified response

to the virus. Some people have not kept up with the latest research and guidelines, others still

believe that the virus is a hoax, and some simply don’t care or find the situation to be hopeless.

So what can we do to fight this psychodemic? From an organizational or government scale, the

most important step is unified crisis communication and leadership. Providing mixed messaging

for the public creates the possibility of making the issue partisan, or confusing people, especially

those who do not follow the news. Actively reminding people of the present danger associated

with the virus is a good way to keep them involved and up-to-date. From an individual

perspective, it’s important to follow reliable sources, look for personal stories, and stay

connected with others. Some additional tips can be found at the bottom of this article.

Future of Psychodemics

By no means is this the last global pandemic we will see. The next one might be more deadly

and harder to detect. These three pillars will remain constant in the next pandemic and play

similar roles in the way humanity addresses poverty, climate change, and more. It’s important

that people around the globe take note of how this situation runs its course and that we devise

solutions to counter these psychological obstacles.

It’s important to keep this in mind: yes, the virus is a threat, but so is our perception of it.