The COVID-19 Crisis as a Practice of Patience and an Opportunity for Post-Traumatic Growth: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Context: This study was carried out in order to provide a narrative review of the practice of patience and an opportunity for post traumatic growth in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 crisis). COVID-19 is a type of disease-causing acute respiratory syndromes. The mental health of people has been negatively affected by COVID-19 due to increased complications and mortality, special living conditions, and mandatory quarantine. Reactions to this crisis depend on the person's emotional processing style; therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to cultural and social factors. Trauma is defined as an individual’s exposure to an event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in serious injury or threat to the integrity of the self and others. Commonly, the person’s first response to a traumatic event involves fear and helplessness. A traumatic event cannot be merely viewed as a threat or loss, as it also creates opportunities for positive changes, known as post traumatic growth (PTG). In the present study, we aimed to discuss the concept of patience to facilitate PTG in the context of a viral disease. Evidence Acquisition: The type of study is a narrative literature review. The content under study was the content and opinions with the keywords Post-traumatic growth and patience. The sources used were the Holy Quran books in the field of Islamic sources. Scopus and Google Scholar databases were also used to search for articles with the keywords patience and PTG. In this regard, the views of Islamic philosophers, sages, and scientists were considered. Results: It was found that patience involves acceptance, positivity, responsibility and commitment, faith, hope, reliance, and trust. The development of patience involves emotional restraint (avoidance of complaining, expressing anger or inappropriate instinctual desires, and revenge), tolerance (having peace of mind, self-care, self-regulation, and openness), endurance (showing tenacity, perseverance, and firmness), and positive expectations (anticipating relief, hope of salvation, and reward or perfection). Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, it can be stated that in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, people need to practice patience at a higher level than before. The development of this model and its training by counselors and therapists can help people who have severe anxiety disorders and depression caused by bereavement crises and other crises.