The Pandemic Management Theory. COVID-19 and biocentric development

Authors

  • Marcus Stueck DPFA Academy of Work and Health

Keywords:

biocentric approach, biocentric development, psychological coping with pandemic, pandemic management, psychoneuroimmunology and pandemic

Abstract

Background

The Pandemic Management Theory (PMT) is a psychological theory based on the biocentric health management approach. It uses the data obtained in the study to describe an external first circle. Six phases of coping with the burden of the lockdown and the further load process of the COVID-19 pandemic are defined, such as the orientation phase with load interpretations, acute and chronic phases of negative load consequences and phases with positive consequences. Furthermore, it describes a  phase with a biocentric sustainable change in ethical attitudes to protect life during pandemics.

Participants and procedure

The empirical base for the description of the Theory is a study on the psychological processing of the COVID-19 crisis. A total of 1500 participants from 5 continents took part.

Results

The COVID-19 crisis is an individual and genre-specific identity crisis in which basic ethical attitudes towards life are questioned, where the social distancing and restrictions have a separating, dissociating effect on the integration process with different levels of life. Therefore the inner circle of the model approaches biocentric connections of humans to (1) themselves, (2) to others and (3) to the “complex of living elements”, to nature. Maintaining a connection in these three levels is necessary to sustain a healthy identity during pandemics. The causes and consequences of separations from these levels of life because of biocentric boundaries, which are defined in the model.

Conclusions

To protect the connection of humans to themselves, to others and to the complex of living beings (nature) support options are shown in six biocentric fields of action during and after pandemics: (1) maintaining affective communication, (2) maintenance of lively corporeality, (3) contact with one’s own identity and inner oriented self-reflexion together with others, (4) construction of life sense and expression of life potentials, (5) expansion of consciousness and perception of the wholeness, (6) development of ecological awareness and sustainable biocentric lifestyles and attitudes.

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Published

2021-05-10

How to Cite

Stueck, M. (2021). The Pandemic Management Theory. COVID-19 and biocentric development. Health Psychology Report, 9(2), 101–128. Retrieved from https://czasopisma.bg.ug.edu.pl/index.php/HPR/article/view/5756