Ambivalent Prospection: Covid-Related Attitudes in Patients with Substance Dependence

The study explored associations between individual characteristics that are considered markers of suicidal and non-suicidal self-destruction (substance dependence; hopelessness, and impulsiveness), prospection (or future thinking), and attitudes to a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). After all inclusion/exclusion criteria were met, the sample (N=102) included two comparison groups: Group 1 comprised male in-patients diagnosed with substance dependence (N=62), and Group 2 consisted of males without this diagnosis (N=40). Methods: Beck’s Hopelessness Scale; Barratt’s Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11); self-defining future projections (SDFP) generation task; COVID-19 self-report measure. Results: Groups had almost similar levels of declared COVID-related attitudes, but differed significantly in impulsiveness and hopelessness. SDFPs in Group 1 differed from those in Group 2 as to their phenomenological (shorter time perspective; more negative; less frequently simulated), content (higher frequency of Relationship and lower frequency of Achievement events), and psychological characteristics (lower Competence and Autonomy). Groups had different patterns of correlations between COVID-related and psychological parameters associated with self-destruction, as well as between all these parameters and SDFP characteristics. We also found evidence in favor of the hypothesis regarding protective function of prospection. Conclusions: We were able to confirm the association between dysfunctional COVID-related attitudes and individual characteristics that are frequently considered to be markers of non-suicidal self-destruction only partially. Nonetheless, the identified dissociation between declared COVID recognition and willingness to observe epidemiological precautions and actual neglect of those may require future study.

The spread of a novel infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) resulted in a dramatic change in people’s life style, global socioeconomic crisis, and deterioration of mental well-being in affected countries. People globally have been experiencing a whole range of negative emotions from lowered mood to hopelessness due to an exposure to isolation, financial challenges, close peoples’ illness and deaths, fear of getting infected and dying.

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