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In addition to the tendency to display dissociative vs. associative communication behavior when encountering dissimilar vs. similar others, individuals are often inclined to exhibit maladaptive vs. adaptive communication behavior concerning health issues. As it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, this could involve rejecting sound health information, derogating authoritative medical sources, and avoiding healthy actions and practices (Blondé & Girandola, 2019; Claudy et al., 2011; Ma et al., 2020). Considering the potentially risky human activities individuals may engage in within the midst of a pandemic, when informed of the costs and benefits of various behaviors, whether the negative consequences of maladaptive behavior (e.g., venturing into public without a protective face mask), or the positive consequences of prosocial behavior (e.g., practicing social distancing), defensive responses toward the information (e.g., psychological reactance) should be expected (Blondé & Girandola, 2019; Ma et al., 2020).

In many cases, despite favorable attitudes toward the information, there may nonetheless be an inconsistency between the relevant attitudes and the behaviors observed. Many health communication studies have demonstrated the relatively small, or even negative effects of information on stimulating productive behavior change, even though participants report positive attitudes toward the health-relevant information and/or high intentions to perform the advocated behavior (Claudy et al., 2011; Grandpre et al., 2003; Miller et al., 2013). From the perspective of TMT, a defensive response in the form of information rejection may often constitute a type of proximal defense aimed at forestalling the advent of existential anxiety (Pyszczynski et al., 1999). As TMT posits, in terms of CWV bolstering and ingroup tolerance, individuals may also respond positively when death thoughts are in focal awareness. Therefore, the observed positive responses in studies (e.g., positive attitudes and/or high intentions to behave as recommended) likely represent proximal defenses aimed at shielding the physical self from DTA. However, to buffer their existential anxiety as thoughts of death move out of focal awareness, where they are less consciously accessible, people will tend to engage in more negative, discordant CWV bolstering behaviors associated with distal terror management defenses.

Fortunately, as Goldenberg and Arndt (2008) and Greenberg and Arndt (2011) have shown, such undesirable distal defenses may be moderated or eliminated by cultivating a worldview where health promotion and prosocial behavior are highly valued. When promoting healthful, socially beneficial behavior constitutes a core component of one’s CWV, efforts toward worldview defense function to reinforce adaptive behavior and reduce negative outcomes. Along similar lines, finding pathways to self-esteem associated with adaptive behavior in response to DTA associated with the COVID-19 pandemic can also serve to maximize positive outcomes, encourage greater engagement in health-promoting social behavior, and foster a healthier, socially harmonious lifestyle. As Yum and Schenck-Hamlin (2005) found, two weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there was an upsurge in altruistic activities, with many people reporting that they were spending more time involved in interpersonal conversations regarding the wellbeing of their neighbors, and in community conscious behaviors in general. During the coronavirus pandemic, when chances for effective interpersonal connections with others is limited by quarantining and the need for social distance, seeking interpersonal connections through online social support groups and/or via social media interaction may help people relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and help individuals maintain overall mental health (Ma & Miller, 2020).

These and other related studies within the TMT literature (Hirschberger et al., 2008; Van Tongeren et al., 2013; Wade-Benzoni, 2006) demonstrate a “silver lining” that can often offset the increased existential anxiety that follows in the wake of traumatic events. In line with much of the social support literature (Moscardino et al., 2010; Mossakowski & Zhang, 2014; Pow et al., 2017) when it comes to building resilience and facilitating recovery from disastrous events, these findings provide valuable implications for ameliorating potential mental health issues following crises, disasters, and traumas. As research in disaster and crisis management has shown, mental health concerns such as post-disaster trauma, functional impairment, and socioemotional stress often occur in the aftermath of crises, affecting many aspects of communal well-being, and social and individual development (Beaton et al., 2009; Kaniasty, 2020). Moreover, as mentioned above, in conjunction with CWV and self-esteem bolstering, investing in close personal relationships can also serve as an especially effective means of restoring and maintaining social and psychological equanimity.