Pandemic denial: why some people cannot accept the realities of Covid-19

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Denial manifests itself in many ways, from refusing to wear a mask or attending large gatherings.

Using denial as a coping mechanism is not always a bad choice. In the short term, it gives someone time to adjust to a situation. When it becomes a long-term crutch and puts others at risk, it can be dangerous.

There is also a term in psychology called rationalism, which people often confuse with denial. It is a defense mechanism where people try to justify unacceptable behavior.

With over 30 years of experience in their profession, psychologists Eve and Mark Whitmore have spent the last few years studying misinformation and confirmation bias. Eve Whitmore currently works as a clinical psychologist in Stow, Ohio, and Mark Whitmore works as an associate professor at the College of Business Administration at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

CNN: What is denial and why do we deny things that are patently true?

Eve Whitmore: Denial is a construct used in psychology to describe how people deal with constructs of reality. It’s not considered to be one of the most preferred mechanisms – we call them defense mechanisms.

Mark Whitmore: Denial is a way for people to defend themselves against anxiety. When they are in times when there is a lot of anxiety and it is perceived as a threat, then people develop strategies to protect themselves, their sense of security and safety. And one of those is to simply deny that the threatening source exists. In that case, you’d just say, “Well, the epidemic is a hoax. It doesn’t really exist.”
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Denial is sometimes confused with rationalization, which is when people try to explain or lessen the threat of the source of anxiety. When people say, ‘Covid-19 is just another flu’ they admit it exists, but play it down and say it’s not as bad as everyone is saying.

CNN: Why do some people deny or rationalize?

MW: Whether you react to stressful and anxious situations or react more positively by determining how to deal with them, it depends on how well you feel in control over these situations. When the pandemic was first announced, there was very little information and we weren’t sure what kinds of precautions we should be taking.

Since then, the pandemic has progressed. We have gained more information on how to protect ourselves and have some sense of control over the types of behavior we engage in.

But in March and April we didn’t have a lot of information and some information was contradictory, which contributed to the feeling that people were out of control. Some people have felt a lot of anxiety and stress, and at that point we have to figure out how to deal with it in order to be able to function. For some, it creates a myth about the pandemic or just looking for information that will reinforce their point that it’s not really as bad as people say.

The mask debate today looks a lot like the decades-long struggle to make seat belts mandatory

CNN: How can denial or rationalization be dangerous?

MW: Both denial and rationalization are considered inadequate, which means that they do not help the individual adapt to the source of the threat. This can actually put them at an even greater chance of anything threatening.

In the case of the pandemic, you could get sick because if you are in denial you are rationalizing the gravity of the situation. Then you probably won’t take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.

THAT ONE: We’ve seen people say, “I want to get the virus and just be done with it.” There are also people who travel across the United States to different states, although this is not recommended because they don’t believe Covid-19 is that bad. They can be asymptomatic and bring it back to their own state.

We have also heard people say they thought they were already exposed to the virus because a family member had an undiagnosed illness and now thinks it was Covid-19, and they therefore think they are fine because they should be immune.

CNN: Where do people learn these behaviors?

THAT ONE: These constructs develop in children and are usually reinforced by parents or guardians. By the age of 6 or 7 a child is able to understand what is fact and what is fiction, but in our culture fiction is reinforced, often with parents and children. You know there is a Santa Claus and an Easter Bunny. Part of that is part of development and helps kids with fantasy, and fantasy can be a good thing. But sometimes we see it can get extreme.

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MW: The main thing is not so much Santa Claus. This is because as parents we teach children to face decisions, not with facts but with belief or faith. As parents, we did all of the Santa Claus thing, but we also taught our kids how to make decisions based on factual information.

When adults have been raised in an environment where unsubstantiated beliefs were part of their upbringing, they are much more likely to believe in conspiracy theories and hoaxes. They also tend to make decisions based on hunches and preconceptions and prejudices rather than using factual information.

CNN: If you have a friend or family member who is not following proper safety guidelines because they are refusing or rationalizing, how can you help them?

MW: It also leads to confirmation bias, where you create a bubble by surrounding yourself with people who believe what you believe, and you seek out information that supports the way you believe.

It would help a person to receive conflicting information, things that contradict their views. A person has to be forced to face it and do something. It is best to proceed in stages. Start by presenting the individual with conflicting factual information that is not so threatening, as well as what they can do to protect themselves.

Once they start to accept it, then you increase the intensity of the realistic information in stages until they accept it more fully and achieve a greater sense of control.

THAT ONE: You can also lead by example. They can see that you are wearing a mask while washing your hands and maintaining a social distance. They may also see you following the mandatory rules in your state.

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