The current research chronicles the unfolding of the early psychological impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by analyzing Reddit language from 18 U.S. cities (200,000+ people) and large-scale survey data (11,000+ people). Large psychological shifts were found reflecting three distinct phases. When COVID-19 warnings first emerged (“warning phase”), people’s attentional focus switched to the impending threat. Anxiety levels surged, and positive emotion and anger dropped. In parallel, people’s thinking became more intuitive rather than analytic. When lockdowns began (“isolation phase”), analytic thinking dropped further. People became sadder, and their thinking reflected attempts to process the uncertainty. Familial ties strengthened, but ties to broader social groups weakened. Six weeks after COVID-19’s onset (“normalization phase”), people’s psychological states stabilized but remained elevated. Most psychological shifts were stronger when the threat of COVID-19 was greater. The magnitude of the observed shifts dwarfed responses to other events that occurred in the previous decade.

中文翻译：

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社交媒体对话揭示了 COVID-19 在美国各城市的爆发造成的巨大心理转变

当前的研究通过分析来自美国 18 个城市（200,000 多人）和大规模调查数据（11,000 多人）的 Reddit 语言，记录了 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 早期心理影响的展开。发现较大的心理转变反映了三个不同的阶段。当 COVID-19 警告首次出现（“警告阶段”）时，人们的注意力转移到即将到来的威胁上。焦虑水平激增，积极情绪和愤怒情绪下降。与此同时，人们的思维变得更加直觉而非分析。当封锁开始（“隔离阶段”）时，分析性思维进一步下降。人们变得更加悲伤，他们的想法反映了处理不确定性的尝试。家庭联系加强了，但与更广泛的社会群体的联系减弱了。COVID-19 发病六周后（“正常化阶段”），人们的心理状态趋于稳定，但仍处于高位。当 COVID-19 的威胁更大时，大多数心理转变会更强。观察到的变化幅度使人们对过去十年发生的其他事件的反应相形见绌。