By Carlos Niemes, Clinical Psychologist

Anxiety is a natural reaction to danger, and the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most dangerous events that humanity has faced in generations. Therefore, it is expected that we will find high levels of anxiety, anguish, and fear in the population. To have a better understanding of who is most affected by anxiety in our society, let’s analyze the responses received by 977 residents in Ecuador during the mobility restriction decreed in our country, from the last days of the first to the end of the third week of confinement. *

Volunteers completed a non-standardized variant of an anxiety test online, answering how often eight different distress-indicating situations were experienced in the past few days. Possible responses were “Almost never”, “Rarely”, “Usually” or “Almost always”. Participants completed the test anonymously and received a result that would be useful in determining their current situation themselves.

The maximum score of 32 points was given to those who answered “Almost always” to all the situations, while the minimum anxiety score was 8 points, indicating that the situations presented “Almost never” affected them. An intermediate rating of 16 points equivalent to all distressing situations is present at least “Rarely”, and ratings above that value would be equivalent to at least one indicator of anxiety is “Usually” or “Almost always” present.

The average score of the sample was over 20 points. This means that the average manifest participant has faced multiple indicators of anxiety most of the time in the past few days. 58% of women scored above that average, while 61% of men scored below average anxiety level. In other words, the manifestation of anxiety indicators during the period of social isolation and mobility restriction due to COVID-19 in Ecuador has been more frequent in women than in men.

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When separating the sample by age groups, it was found that people who are 20 years old or younger are the most psychologically fragile group in the face of anxiety right now. 67% of them manifest anxiety indicators with a frequency above the sample average. The next most sensitive group is between 21 and 30 years old since 58% of them show a higher incidence of distressing situations than the total average. Even though the younger generations are less likely to die from COVID-19, the population of 51 years or older has lower stress levels, because 72% reported the presence of anxiety less frequently than the general mean. Paradoxically, the risk of dying from coronavirus due to age appears to be inversely related to the presence of indicators of anxiety among those surveyed during the crisis, because younger people are more distressed than their elders.

Based on these results, we can assume that sex and age influence the probability of being overwhelmed by anxiety in the circumstances we are experiencing. It is a commonly accepted fact that, even out of evolutionary necessity, women are markedly more sensitive to distress than men. It is also to be expected that more mature people will react more calmly and wisely to difficult situations. However, the psychological fragility that generations younger than 30 show in the face of this difficult reality must draw our attention to the process of recovering from it as a society, not only during but also after the pandemic.

Although unfortunately, we will close this black chapter too late for many, I am sure that we will succeed as humanity. The pandemic will pass because vaccines and treatments are going to be developed thanks to science. However, and beyond the preservation of the species, to guarantee our survival as a society we must empower the youth. We have given them more resources for life than at any time in history, and I applaud the young people who face these events with courage and responsibility. But those with a low tolerance for anxiety are in danger of becoming physically and psychologically ill, becoming a burden on the community and a danger to themselves. Therefore, we have pending the task of strengthening the most fragile, because only those who will be able to endure the hardships of reality will survive.

* The data received in the survey is published in CNGSOLUCIONES.BLOGSPOT.COM