Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on social healthsaving practices and mental health of Russian citizens

Abstract

The article examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the behavioral health practices of Russian citizens. The coronavirus has created an unstable environment around the world, forced people to adapt to a changing way of life. People realized their own vulnerability and loss of control over their lives, which forced them to act outside the usual context and routine schemes and change their attitude to corporeality. Epidemic and lockdowns urged people to comply with the prescribed precautions, but that also provoked divisions among social groups following the evolvement of different strategies, opinions and behavioral norms related to new rules and restrictions. Based on the analysis of the latest statistical publications and data, the article attempts to assess the consequences of “covid dissidence”. Compliance with restrictive measures and vaccination is considered not only as a strategy of self-preservation for each individual, but also as an act of altruism in relation to their fellow citizens. In this work, the author analyzes the impact of the epidemic on the mental health of people, and also dwells on the role of the family as a significant agent that can protect against the harmful psycho-traumatic effects of the “pandemic of fear” as well as exacerbate its influence, hence instilling certain behavioral habits.Author deals with the question of how to create discourses about the importance of vaccination and the observance of restrictive measures, not only as an act of self-preservation, but as a responsible behavior towards relatives, friends and compatriots.The empirical basis of the work is the data of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal State Statistics Service, the Public Opinion Foundation and the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion.