Background

The outbreak of the coronavirus infection resulted in an increasing amount of global mental health concerns. At the same time, innate health programs delivered to high-risk populations have shown significant improvements in positive mental health markers. 

Aims

This study examined the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on psychological well-being and protective factors. We asked: What was hampering well-being or causing psychiatric problems? Does innate health, resilience, and/or social support protect individuals against the negative effects of the pandemic?

Method

During April and May of 2020, we asked social media participants about their resilience during the pandemic. We administered 2 questionnaires by snowball sampling. A total of 2063 participants filled out the first questionnaire in April of 2020. Of those, 439 participants filled out the second questionnaire in May of 2020 (4 weeks apart). Participants were from the Netherlands (52%), USA (22%), UK (14%), EU (6%), other (6%) and were female (74%), married/cohabiting (65%), living alone (30%) or had children in their household (46%).

Results

While most participants reported an initial period of low well-being and very high anxiety, well-being and resilience remained high among those who choose an innate health religious/spiritual affiliation. By the second survey, most levels of well-being, resilience, and anxiety were closer to normal, however, in that same period of time levels of depression rose. However, this was not true among those who indicated an innate health affiliation. Scores of those individuals were higher than those who indicated other affiliations (e.g. Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Muslimism, Yoga or Mindfulness, Agnostics of Atheism or Humanism).

Conclusion

Emerging science points to innate health realization as supportive of positive mental health markers and well-being outcomes. Innate health realization is best understood as a mindset that embraces an intrinsic and human ability for clarity, wisdom, and creativity, regardless of circumstances or conditions, and connection to this belief offers relief from the psychological experience of suffering and improves psychological outcomes.