Why do some people experience long-term complaints after traumatic events while others experience short-term complaints or do not experience any complaints at all? This is the key question in a large international research study that was supposed to commence this month. The coronavirus crisis has put a different spin on the research study: the lab sessions with participants have been temporarily cancelled. Yet never have so many people found themselves in relatively similar stressful circumstances. And this means that the coronavirus crisis also offers opportunities for research. Neuroscientist Judith van Leeuwen (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboudumc) was already involved in a major stress study that was supposed to commence this month in four countries. The idea was to monitor participants for as long as possible and to get them to keep a record of what they were doing and how they were feeling. The participants were also going to take stress tests, which would have involved measuring factors such as their heart rate and the amount of stress hormone (cortisol) in their saliva. But due to the coronavirus crisis, the study is now unable to commence. “But we do have a team of scientists standing by. The coronavirus crisis has created a great deal of uncertainty and stress for many people. They may be anxious about their own health, about the health of others, or about their home or work situation that has suddenly become very different. In the meantime, people are unable to perform leisure activities, they’re missing out on being able to socially interact with others, the end is not yet in sight ... This means that the pressure has increased for everyone, albeit not in the same way for each person. But everyone is experiencing a similar type of stress.” Helping people In China, where the virus seems to be on the decline, there is already evidence of an increase in anxiety and depression due to the coronavirus crisis, says Van Leeuwen. “This will be no different in Europe. But why is it that some people are affected more than others? Which factors play a role and can these factors be remedied? This is scientifically interesting and we will hopefully also be able to help the people who have been affected. If we are able to contribute towards helping people to come out of this situation as healthy as possible and in the best possible way, that would be great.” Positive spin Van Leeuwen and her fellow researchers aim to distribute questionnaires to as many participants as possible, so that they can examine the impact of factors such as gender, age, discrepancies between countries, family composition, work, financial uncertainty, etc. Van Leeuwen is particularly interested in the role that is played by social support: are people surrounded by others, are they able to find another way to organise their social support while they are in isolation? She is also interested in the extent to which people are able to give a positive spin on what has happened to them. “There are people who are quick to say such things as: ‘I don’t mind that life is a bit quieter now’, or: ‘I have to do my work differently now, but I can also see that this has its benefits’.” Van Leeuwen understands that social support and positive reinterpretation both seem to be important protective factors against stress damage. “And the great thing is that you can personally do something about these factors. Hopefully this study will further clarify how and when this will work best.” A new routine How does van Leeuwen personally deal with coronavirus stress? “I’ve noticed that the most difficult thing for me is that I no longer have my daily routine, which included my train commute to and from work. I always used this time to help myself get started in the morning and to unwind at the end of the day. Now I’ve got a different way of doing that, by doing yoga and going for a walk. And I use video calls to keep in touch with family and friends. Talking to people and actually seeing their faces helps me.” Fast preliminary results Due to the critical importance of the research study, the researchers will be sharing the preliminary results as soon as possible – hopefully within a few weeks – via a so-called preprint server. Peer review and publication will follow at a later date. Would you like to participate in this study? If so, you must be over 18 years of age. The researchers would ideally like to have as many participants as possible from different age groups and backgrounds. For more information, go to the Dynacore website. Photo by form PxHere