Does pandemic denial help or harm? Belief in and experience of COVID-19 as factors affecting psychological consequences of using neurotic defence mechanisms

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic may activate thoughts of death, leading to aversive psychological states. In such situations, defence mechanisms emerge; however, their adaptability depends on many factors. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between neurotic defence style and depressive symptoms. We assumed that the sense of coherence underlies this correlation and investigated how both believing (or not) in COVID-19 and having (or not) experience of this disease differentiate this mechanism. Methods: This cross-sectional study (N = 720) was conducted through an online panel. Results: For COVID-19 believers who had no experience of the disease, the higher their neurotic defence style, the lower their sense of coherence, which was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. The same pattern was found for non-believers who have experienced COVID-19. In the group of individuals who believed and experienced COVID-19, the relationship between neurotic defence style and sense of coherence was non-significant. In turn, respondents who neither believed in nor have experienced COVID-19 displayed a positive relationship between neurotic defence style and sense of coherence. Discussion: Although self-deception strategies might be adaptive, they contribute to increased distress, if continued to be used once an individual confronts reality.