{"id":19475,"date":"2020-06-22T20:29:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-22T20:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=19475&#038;post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-04-18T03:42:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T03:42:25","slug":"trauma-and-resilience-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/trauma-and-resilience-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Trauma and Resilience During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Summer 2020<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Trauma Changes Everyone<\/h2>\n<p>[sidebar background=&#8221;#eeeeee&#8221; position=&#8221;right&#8221; content_align=&#8221;center&#8221; class=&#8221;col-md-4&#8243;]<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2020\/06\/Beidel-575x575.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"80%\" \/><br \/>\n<em><strong>Deborah Beidel<\/strong> is a Pegasus Professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/degree\/psychology-bs\/\">psychology<\/a>\u00a0and medical education at UCF. She is also the director of UCF RESTORES, a clinic that treats veterans, active-duty military, first responders, survivors of trauma, and community members experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma-related concerns.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/sidebar]<\/p>\n<p>For all the trauma that I have\u00a0witnessed, I never expected\u00a0a global pandemic resulting in a\u00a0devastating loss of life, bringing our\u00a0economy and perhaps our society to\u00a0their knees.<\/p>\n<p>The world has changed for\u00a0everyone. The luckiest among us stay\u00a0in our houses, working and learning\u00a0from home. In public, we now\u00a0stand six feet apart wearing masks\u00a0\u2014 eliminating important human\u00a0behaviors such as hugs, handshakes\u00a0and smiles. These changes will exist\u00a0for some time, but they are miniscule\u00a0compared to this event\u2019s overall,\u00a0long-term impact.<\/p>\n<p>Mental health professionals know\u00a0that the people likely to suffer the\u00a0most severe psychological effects\u00a0of trauma are those who are at its\u00a0central core. In this pandemic, the\u00a0myriad of people who have lost jobs\u00a0and livelihoods, either temporarily\u00a0or permanently, will be severely\u00a0affected. There are two other groups\u00a0who are severely affected: families\u00a0who have lost or will lose a loved\u00a0one to COVID-19, and the hospital\u00a0workers and first responders on the\u00a0front line of this pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The death of a family member\u00a0is always difficult \u2014 in this time\u00a0of contagion, death is particularly\u00a0cruel. We cannot hold the hand of\u00a0the dying or have that last private\u00a0goodbye. FaceTime cannot substitute\u00a0for physical presence in life\u2019s final\u00a0moments.<\/p>\n<p>Funerals are not for the deceased.\u00a0They are for the people left behind.\u00a0Funerals provide a chance to connect\u00a0\u2014 to get or give emotional support\u00a0and to grieve our loss with others.\u00a0Funerals provide closure: A loved one\u00a0is properly laid to rest. COVID-19\u00a0has robbed us of this very important\u00a0ritual, leaving behind a grieving\u00a0family without an important, timely\u00a0steppingstone by which to move on.<\/p>\n<p>First responders and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/healthcare\/\">healthcare<\/a>\u00a0workers have died in the line of duty\u00a0after contracting COVID-19. For\u00a0others who test positive, they must\u00a0quarantine \u2014 alone perhaps in a hotel\u00a0for weeks \u2014 to avoid transmission to\u00a0their families.<\/p>\n<p>Physical separation takes a\u00a0psychological toll. Additionally,\u00a0healthcare workers describe\u00a0apocalyptic working conditions.\u00a0The emotional cost of repeatedly\u00a0witnessing death and the dying\u2019s\u00a0intimate last words with family has\u00a0led some healthcare professionals to\u00a0depression, despair and even suicide.\u00a0There are some traumatic events that\u00a0are just so horrific that no one should\u00a0expect to walk away unscathed. For\u00a0all these heroes, this is one of those\u00a0events.<\/p>\n<p>The most common response to\u00a0trauma is short-term stress followed\u00a0by natural recovery.<\/p>\n<p>Typically, a traumatic event occurs\u00a0and afterward, recovery begins. This\u00a0pandemic is different. We do not\u00a0know when it will end. The previous\u00a0models of recovery may not apply.<\/p>\n<p>Trauma changes you forever, but\u00a0I believe that we will rise above,\u00a0stronger and more in touch with what\u00a0really matters. Stay safe and well, and\u00a0please, take care of each other.<\/p>\n<p>[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n<h2>Resiliency Is in Our DNA<\/h2>\n<p>[sidebar background=&#8221;#eeeeee&#8221; position=&#8221;right&#8221; content_align=&#8221;center&#8221; class=&#8221;col-md-4&#8243;]<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/4\/files\/2020\/06\/Lambie-575x575.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"80%\" \/><br \/>\n<em><strong>Glenn Lambie<\/strong> is the\u00a0Robert N. Heintzelman Eminent Scholar\u00a0Endowed Chair and a professor of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/degree\/counselor-education-ma\/\">counselor education<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>[\/sidebar]<\/p>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic is\u00a0a crisis that has resulted\u00a0in significant challenges and\u00a0detrimental consequences in all\u00a0aspects of life. Individuals and\u00a0families across the nation are facing\u00a0uncertainty, fear, anxiety, physical\u00a0illness and the unexpected death\u00a0of loved ones.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone reacts to situations\u00a0differently, and individual\u00a0experiences of COVID-19 can range\u00a0from challenging to traumatic.<\/p>\n<p>Although the timeline for\u00a0COVID-19 is uncertain, this pandemic\u00a0will subside and life will continue. We\u00a0should avoid trying to bounce back\u00a0to normal, as if these past months\u00a0never occurred. We may not be the\u00a0same people, community or nation\u00a0we were prior to COVID-19. But\u00a0our experiences have the potential\u00a0to foster change and increase our\u00a0resolve.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, COVID-19 may present\u00a0an opportunity to highlight the\u00a0resiliency of humankind.<\/p>\n<p>Resilience is a dynamic process\u00a0that relates to our capacity to recover,\u00a0adapt and thrive following adverse\u00a0experiences. While it is natural to\u00a0dwell on the negative impact and real\u00a0consequences of COVID-19, there\u00a0may be a silver lining.<\/p>\n<p>Crisis situations can highlight and\u00a0strengthen altruism, cohesiveness\u00a0and growth among individuals,\u00a0families, communities and our\u00a0collective society.<\/p>\n<p>There are many factors that can\u00a0promote and support individuals\u2019\u00a0resilience in the wake of crises,\u00a0including having empathy toward\u00a0others, promoting emotional\u00a0well-being and stability, fostering a\u00a0sense of optimism about the future,\u00a0cultivating creativity, being physically\u00a0active, encouraging openness to\u00a0experiences, inspiring humor,\u00a0nurturing problem-solving abilities\u00a0and promoting social competence.<\/p>\n<p>[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n<p>[blockquote source=&#8221;&#8221; cite=&#8221;&#8221; color=&#8221;&#8221; css_class=&#8221;&#8221;]&#8221;Crisis situations can highlight and strengthen altruism, cohesiveness and growth among individuals, families, communities and our collective society.&#8221;[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n<p>[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n<p>Signs of positive growth following\u00a0significant adversity may be seen\u00a0when we view ourselves as survivors\u00a0as opposed to victims, are aware\u00a0of our vulnerabilities, maintain\u00a0positive interpersonal relationships,\u00a0demonstrate compassion and\u00a0altruism, change our priorities and\u00a0develop a gratitude for life. We have\u00a0the opportunity to emerge on the\u00a0other side of the COVID-19 pandemic\u00a0stronger, but it\u2019s up to us.<\/p>\n<p>We need to collectively support one another by building on each other\u2019s strengths and identifying coping strategies that foster growth and positive outcomes during these challenging times. Some people have access to support and resources that can buffer the negative outcomes of the pandemic more than others. Populations [in need] have been hit hardest with the consequences of COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>The disruption of normal life and\u00a0lack of access to basic physiological\u00a0and psychological resources may\u00a0cause detrimental results. To promote\u00a0resilience, we need to identify\u00a0strengths and support interventions\u00a0that make resources readily available\u00a0for all.<\/p>\n<p>There is no denying that the\u00a0COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis\u00a0that has resulted in many difficult\u00a0challenges and adverse traumatic\u00a0experiences. It would be naive\u00a0to minimize the many negative\u00a0consequences that have occurred as a\u00a0result of this devastating pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Yet when the effects of the\u00a0pandemic start to subside, we will see\u00a0that humankind is resilient. We have\u00a0the ability to not only recover but also\u00a0to grow stronger and thrive in the\u00a0wake of this crisis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":19831,"template":"","categories":[980],"tags":[1472,1668,1471,1470,1430],"class_list":["post-19475","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-counselor-education","tag-deborah-beidel","tag-medical-education","tag-psychology","tag-ucf-restores","issues-1462","issues-summer-2020"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UCF Experts Discuss Trauma and Resilience During COVID-19<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pegasus Professor and Director of UCF RESTORES Deborah Beidel and Endowed Chair and Professor Glenn Lambie discuss the potential effects of the pandemic.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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