Psychological stress responses to COVID-19 and adaptive strategies in China

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) developed into a pandemic on March 11. COVID-19 not only brought life crisis, but also incurred psychological stress: tension, anxiety, fear and despair among affected populations. How to help people overcome traumatic stress reactions and get out of psychological crisis has become a public concern that needs to be resolved in time. This article reported the psychological responses caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in China based on relevant experience and studies. The anti-epidemic measures of self-quarantine and social-distancing were deployed to contain the spread of COVID-19, but inevitably caused a certain extent of side effect: frustration and anxiety in the general public. Especially, the front-line medical rescue staff and COVID-19 patients were more susceptible to developing psychological disorders. Correspondingly, adaptive strategies and public health policies were rapidly implemented in China to deal with outbreak-caused mental stress. The psychological impact of COVID-19 and coping strategies adopted in China provided warning and reference for countries that are and going to be affected by this natural disaster.