The COVID-19 Stress Perceived on Social Distance and Gender-Based Implications

The closer you are, the more it hurts: the impact of proximity on moral decision-making

Moral dilemmas arise when individuals must navigate conflicts between competing moral principles. Sacrificial dilemmas are widely used to examine factors influencing decision-making (DM). This study explored how proximity affects moral DM using computer-based interactive videos depicting variations of the Footbridge Dilemma, aiming to clarify how contextual factors shape moral evaluations. In Study 1, scenarios required varying levels of physical proximity between the decision-maker and the victim, mirroring real-world behavioural patterns. Participants' choices (utilitarian vs. deontological), response times (RTs), and emotional responses (factual and counterfactual) were analysed. Study 2 controlled for action type while manipulating only the visual representation of distance, allowing for an isolated examination of perceived proximity's impact. The findings suggest that significant differences in physical perceived distance influence moral choices, whereas minor variations do not meaningfully affect decisions. Counterfactual emotions emerged as key drivers of moral judgment, shaping participants' responses to dilemmas. Future research should extend these findings to non-hypothetical contexts. The implications span clinical practice, legal systems, and artificial intelligence, offering insights for both theoretical advancements and practical applications.

Unmasking the psychological impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic in young adults: results from a cross-sectional online survey

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as an international public health emergency and threat to individual psychological resilience.

Objective

To examine the prevalence of psychological issues and identify key associations with mental health indicators in young adults (ages 18-28) worldwide during the initial phase of the pandemic.

Methods

Through a cross-sectional online survey utilizing convenience sampling, we collected data on demographics, COVID-19-related questions, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), stress/trauma (Impact of Event Scale-Revised), and fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 scale) between September 2020-January 2021. A total of 183 were eligible analysis. All statistical analyses were set at alpha = 0.05.

Results

Over 70% of participants reported mild anxiety (n=129), 80% mild depression (n=136), 40% pandemic-related trauma (n=61), and 50% high fear (n=88). Female respondents reported higher anxiety (t(173)=-3.352, <.001), depression (t(166)=-3.310, P=.001), and trauma from COVID-19 ((t(151)=-2.004, P=.047). Hispanic/Latino/a/x participants reported higher depression (F(2,156)=7.761, P<.001) and trauma scores (F(2,143)=3.999, P=.020). Age in 2020 was associated with trauma total scores (F(1,154)=4.230, P=0.041, R2 = 0.027). Individuals who were mandated a quarantine were linked to lower levels of anxiety (F(2,175)=3.442, P=.034) and depression (F(2,170)=3.092, P =.048) than those not mandated. Those quarantined with close contacts were linked to lower anxiety (t(162.184)=2.705, P =.008) and trauma (t(149)=2.169; P=.032). Close contacts' hospitalization from COVID-19 infections were linked to lower anxiety (t(127)=2.855, P=.005), depression(t(123)=3.111, P=.002), and trauma (t(152)=-1.975, P=.050).

Conclusion

The findings highlight the significant effect COVID-19 had on mental health in young adults worldwide.

Patients recovering from COVID-19 who presented with anosmia during their acute episode have behavioral, functional, and structural brain alterations

Patients recovering from COVID-19 commonly exhibit cognitive and brain alterations, yet the specific neuropathological mechanisms and risk factors underlying these alterations remain elusive. Given the significant global incidence of COVID-19, identifying factors that can distinguish individuals at risk of developing brain alterations is crucial for prioritizing follow-up care. Here, we report findings from a sample of patients consisting of 73 adults with a mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection without signs of respiratory failure and 27 with infections attributed to other agents and no history of COVID-19. The participants underwent cognitive screening, a decision-making task, and MRI evaluations. We assessed for the presence of anosmia and the requirement for hospitalization. Groups did not differ in age or cognitive performance. Patients who presented with anosmia exhibited more impulsive alternative changes after a shift in probabilities (r =  - 0.26, p = 0.001), while patients who required hospitalization showed more perseverative choices (r = 0.25, p = 0.003). Anosmia correlated with brain measures, including decreased functional activity during the decision-making task, thinning of cortical thickness in parietal regions, and loss of white matter integrity. Hence, anosmia could be a factor to be considered when identifying at-risk populations for follow-up.

The flashbulb-like nature of memory for the first COVID-19 case and the impact of the emergency. A cross-national survey

Flashbulb memories (FBMs) refer to vivid and long-lasting autobiographical memories for the circumstances in which people learned of a shocking and consequential public event. A cross-national study across eleven countries aimed to investigate FBM formation following the first COVID-19 case news in each country and test the effect of pandemic-related variables on FBM. Participants had detailed memories of the date and others present when they heard the news, and had partially detailed memories of the place, activity, and news source. China had the highest FBM specificity. All countries considered the COVID-19 emergency as highly significant at both the individual and global level. The Classification and Regression Tree Analysis revealed that FBM specificity might be influenced by participants' age, subjective severity (assessment of COVID-19 impact in each country and relative to others), residing in an area with stringent COVID-19 protection measures, and expecting the pandemic effects. Hierarchical regression models demonstrated that age and subjective severity negatively predicted FBM specificity, whereas sex, pandemic impact expectedness, and rehearsal showed positive associations in the total sample. Subjective severity negatively affected FBM specificity in Turkey, whereas pandemic impact expectedness positively influenced FBM specificity in China and negatively in Denmark.