Experiential avoidance in the context of the health contingency by covid-19

Abstract

The current health contingency resulting from COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the lives of people around the world, having repercussions not only on a physical level but also on a psychological level. Various organizations and researchers at national and international level have drawn attention to the consequences at the mental health level that could be evident in the short, medium and long term. In this context, the presence and chronification of patterns of experiential avoidance can be evidenced at a general level, to the extent that people invest time and energy in controlling, reducing, or changing their unpleasant thoughts, emotions and sensations in the face of the pandemic, the coronavirus-2019 and/or all the meanings that arise in each person. Experiential avoidance or psychological rigidity can prolong suffering and have a great psychological cost, so the alternative to this behavioral pattern could be found in psychological fexibility