Psychological impact of the 2015 MERS outbreak on hospital workers and quarantined hemodialysis patients

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to assess the immediate stress and psychological impact experienced by quarantined patients undergoing hemodialysis and university hospital workers who treated patients Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) during its outbreak. Design The group of subjects consisted of 1800 hospital practitioners and 73 quarantined patients undergoing hemodialysis. The Impact of Events Scale–Revised (IES-R) was administered to the practitioners twice, once during the hospital shutdown and again one month after the shutdown. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered to patients undergoing hemodialysis. Results During the initial stages of the MERS outbreak, healthcare workers who performed MERS-related tasks scored significantly higher on the total IES-R and its subscales. In the second assessment of the high-risk group, the sleep and numbness subscale scores from the IES-R differed depending on the implementation of home quarantine, and the intrusion subscale scores differed depending on the performance of MERS-related tasks. Conclusion Medical staff that performed MERS-related tasks showed the highest risk for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms even after time had elapsed. The risk increased even after home quarantine. Prompt and continuous psychiatric intervention is needed in high mortality infectious disease outbreaks.

Related collections

Most cited references 7

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Coping responses of emergency physicians and nurses to the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak.

D. Phua, H Tang, K Y Tham (2005)

During the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, health care workers (HCWs) experienced unusual stressors. The study hospital introduced psychosocial interventions to help HCWs. This study aimed to examine the coping strategies adopted by the emergency department (ED) HCWs who cared for the SARS patients. In November 2003, a self-administered questionnaire of physicians and nurses was conducted in the hospital ED that is the national SARS screening center in Singapore. Data collected included demographics and responses to these instruments: 1) the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) to assess coping strategies, 2) the Impact of Event Scale (IES) to measure psychological reactions, and 3) the General Health Questionnaire 28 (GHQ 28) to measure psychiatric morbidity. Thirty-eight of 41 (92.7%) physicians and 58 of 83 (69.9%) nurses responded. The respondents reported a preference for problem-focused and emotion-focused coping measures. The physicians chose humor as a coping response significantly more frequently (p < 0.001) than nurses, scoring 9.61/16 (95% CI = 8.52 to 10.69), compared with the nurses' score of 7.05/16 (95% CI = 6.28 to 7.83). The Filipino HCWs turned to religion as a coping response significantly more frequently (p < 0.001) than the non-Filipino HCWs, scoring 14.38/16 (95% CI = 13.33 to 15.42), compared with 9.93/16 (95% CI = 9.00 to 10.87) for the non-Filipinos. Psychiatric morbidity was 17.7% on the IES and 18.8% on the GHQ 28, with the trend for physicians to report lower psychiatric morbidity. With a supportive hospital environment, ED HCWs chose adaptive coping in response to the outbreak and reported low psychiatric morbidity. Physicians chose humor and Filipinos chose turning to religion as their preferred responses. Psychosocial interventions to help HCWs need to take these preferences into account.

0 comments Cited 89 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: found

Is Open Access

An evaluation of psychological distress and social support of survivors and contacts of Ebola virus disease infection and their relatives in Lagos, Nigeria: a cross sectional study − 2014

Abdulaziz Mohammed, Taiwo Sheikh, Saheed Gidado … (2015)

Background By September 2014, an outbreak of Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) in West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Nigeria, had recorded over 4500 and 2200 probable or confirmed cases and deaths respectively. EVD, an emerging infectious disease, can create fear and panic among patients, contacts and relatives, which could be a risk factor for psychological distress. Psychological distress among this subgroup could have public health implication for control of EVD, because of potential effects on patient management and contact tracing. We determined the Prevalence, pattern and factors associated with psychological distress among survivors and contacts of EVD and their relatives. Methods In a descriptive cross sectional study, we used General Health Questionnaire to assess psychological distress and Oslo Social Support Scale to assess social support among 117 participants who survived EVD, listed as EVD contacts or their relatives at Ebola Emergency Operation Center in Lagos, Nigeria. Factors associated with psychological distress were determined using chi square/odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio. Results The mean age and standard deviation of participants was 34 +/ - 9.6 years. Of 117 participants, 78 (66.7 %) were females, 77 (65.8 %) had a tertiary education and 45 (38.5 %) were health workers. Most frequently occurring psychological distress were inability to concentrate (37.6 %) and loss of sleep over worry (33.3 %). Losing a relation to EVD outbreak (OR = 6.0, 95 % CI, 1.2–32.9) was significantly associated with feeling unhappy or depressed while being a health worker was protective (OR = 0.4, 95 % CI, 0.2–0.9). Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) showed losing a relation (AOR = 5.7, 95 % CI, 1.2–28.0) was a predictor of “feeling unhappy or depressed”, loss of a relation (AOR = 10.1, 95 % CI, 1.7–60.7) was a predictor of inability to concentrate. Conclusions Survivors and contacts of EVD and their relations develop psychological distress. Development of psychological distress could be predicted by loss of family member. It is recommended that psychiatrists and other mental health specialists be part of case management teams. The clinical teams managing EVD patients should be trained on recognition of common psychological distress among patients. A mental health specialist should review contacts being monitored for EVD for psychological distress or disorders.

0 comments Cited 80 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Depression and chronic kidney disease: A review for clinicians.

Alison Bautovich, Ivor Katz, Michelle Smith … (2014)

To review the recent academic literature surrounding the prevalence, aetiopathology, associations and management of depression in chronic kidney disease (CKD), in order to provide a practical and up-to-date resource for clinicians.