The Psychosocial Aspect of Large-Scale Crises: Building Resilient Communities

ABSTRACT

In large-scale crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it often happens that various accompanying crises occur in addition to the initial crisis. One of the most frequent ones is the so-called psychosocial crisis. The purpose of this paper is to draw out proposals towards more efficient management of large-scale crises by creating resilient communities. Based on the analysis it was concluded that psychological and social aspects are closely intertwined and interdependent. Main conclusions on how the psychosocial effects of large-scale crises could better be directed towards more resilient communities are by normalizing seeking psychosocial support and systematizing the processes of providing it, working towards healthier social environment through social innovations and by encouraging global cooperation. If more extensive changes are made towards listed proposals, further research could address whether these changes have affected community levels of resilience and better preparedness for coping with the psychosocial effects of future large-scale crises.