Irrational Health Behaviour and Existential Drives During Pandemics: Sexual Risk, Psychological Vulnerability, and the Origins of the Samos Syndrome
C. LazzariIntroduction
Certain behaviours during pandemics—including intentional exposure to illness despite awareness of risk—reflect an irrational mode of health decision-making. Such actions may emerge from unconscious drives, existential ambivalence, and psychosocial conflict. The phenomenon known as Samos Syndrome , inspired by an historical episode documented by Zambaco Pacha and narrated by Ceronetti (1990), illustrates health-risking behaviours driven by symbolic devotion, fatal attraction, or unconscious desire.
Objectives
To define irrational health behaviour in pandemic contexts and analyse how psychological vulnerability and existential factors shape high-risk sexual decision-making. The study examines the psychodynamic foundations of Samos Syndrome and provides a framework for understanding behavioral resistance despite knowledge and awareness of transmission risks.
Methods
A qualitative and conceptual methodology was adopted, drawing on psychoanalytic literature, historical accounts, and clinical interviews. Case studies from HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 crises were analysed alongside theoretical perspectives from Freud, Brenner (1988), and Borlotti (2015). The concept of capacity assessment was utilised to evaluate the cognitive and affective conditions underpinning health decisions.
Results
Risky sexual behaviour under existential stress often reflects unconscious conflict between Eros and Thanatos. In high-stimulation settings, individuals may override health knowledge in pursuit of gratification, symbolic meaning, or emotional relief. Samos Syndrome describes such enactments, particularly in populations with depressive or borderline personality features. Observed decisions included disregard for viral latency and self-harm through intimate contact, akin to slow-motion suicide.
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