An era of confusion, such as martial law, impeachment, and catastrophe, and concerns over national group panic and PTSD
Jan 15, 2025
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Political conflicts are intensifying and social polarization is intensifying as unexpected events and accidents such as martial law, impeachment, and disasters continue. Experts warn that a surge in people's stress and mental suffering can lead to severe social anxiety and group panic.
Political conflicts over martial law and impeachment deepen social and psychological polarization. If political instability continues, people suffer negative feelings such as anxiety, anger, and lethargy.
Professor Han Chang-soo of the Department of Mental Health Medicine at Korea University School of Medicine said, `When political conflict intensifies, trust among people decreases, resulting in emotional discomfort and social isolation.'"If this instability persists, it also has a serious impact on mental health."
In particular, political polarization intensifies conflicts between classes and intensifies distrust, contempt, and hatred of others who disagree with me as political differences are extremely divided.
Professor Han Chang-soo explained "Political conflicts go beyond mere ideological differences, creating psychological distancing between people and making social integration difficult." In addition, as economic difficulties intensify, anxiety and anger are increasing throughout society.
◇'collective panic', spreading social anxiety...Long-term stress, 'PTSD'Development Risk
Experts worry that as political instability and economic crisis continue, there is a greater risk of social instability such as group panic beyond the level that threatens the public's mental health. Group panic is a phenomenon in which people lose the stability of the community and anxiety and fear about the future spread to extreme levels. Continuous social anxiety and confusion can trigger large-scale anxiety reactions and escalate into psychological crises such as anger attacks at the social and collective levels.
Professor Han Chang-soo said, `These collective anxieties may intensify and social resilience may decrease as political and economic uncertainty increases"In the end, social division and loss of trust may accelerate and extreme social reactions may emerge." This means that distrust of political and economic systems can increase and social integration can be made more difficult. As such, group panic poses a high risk of mental stress spreading beyond individuals to social problems.
Professor Han also said, `If political instability and social and economic crisis occur at the same time, the mental resilience of the people can be greatly reduced and it can develop into trauma" he noted. Economic instability increases anxiety about the unpredictable future and creates a state of constant tension, causing anxiety and depression. It causes constant mental stress to people as well as practical problems such as unemployment, debt, and hardships of life.
In addition, Professor Han said "Long-term stress can develop into acute anxiety disorder, depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." At this time, it is helpful for mental health to acknowledge and express in a healthy way rather than suppressing or ignoring emotions. "Stress reactions can occur naturally to anyone, but the important thing is to recognize your feelings and process them properly," one professor said, adding that it is important to understand and respond appropriately to emotions, and above all, to accept that opinions of me and others may differ from each other."
◇ Excessive news viewing can be harmful...Maintaining peace of mind is important
Watching news is an important means of information when society is anxious, but experts point out that continuing to watch news or TV does not always help. This is because excessive news viewing stimulates the autonomic nervous system, causing anxiety and tension. In particular, watching news at night can cause the nervous system to remain excited, interfering with sleep and increasing stress.
In addition, excessive news consumption leads to excessive brain arousal, which breaks the balance of the autonomic nervous system. As a result, the quality of sleep decreases, the secretion of cortisol, a stress hormone, increases, and negatively affects mental and physical health in the long run. Professor Han advised "It will be necessary to check the news, but at other times, it is important to maintain the stability of the mind through conversation, hobbies, and daily routines."
◇Desperate to establish an integrated mental health management system at the national level
Social resilience comes from community empathy and social support systems. Through this, the people regain mental stability and achieve social integration. However, mental health is not a problem that can be overcome in the short term, so it must be approached continuously and in the long term. Therefore, it is an urgent task to establish an integrated mental health management system at the national level that will play an important role in preventing the mental suffering of the people and increasing their resilience in crisis situations.
Professor Han Chang-soo said, `Mental health care does not end as a one-off, but needs continuous support"Effective systems involving experts should ensure that people receive adequate support when necessary."," he stressed.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
