OBJECTIVE: We examined the psychological impact of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on hospital employees in Beijing, China. METHODS: In 2006, randomly selected employees (n = 549) of a hospital in Beijing were surveyed concerning their exposure to the 2003 SARS outbreak, and the ways in which the outbreak had affected their mental health. RESULTS: About 10% of the respondents had experienced high levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms since the SARS outbreak. Respondents who had been quarantined, or worked in high-risk locations such as SARS wards, or had friends or close relatives who contracted SARS, were 2 to 3 times more likely to have high PTS symptom levels, than those without these exposures. Respondents' perceptions of SARS-related risks were significantly positively associated with PTS symptom levels and partially mediated the effects of exposure. Altruistic acceptance of work-related risks was negatively related to PTS levels. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological impact of stressful events related to an infectious disease outbreak may be mediated by peoples' perceptions of those events; altruism may help to protect some health care workers against these negative impacts.
OBJECTIVE: We examined the psychological impact of the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) on hospital employees in Beijing, China. METHODS: In 2006, randomly selected employees (n = 549) of a hospital in Beijing were surveyed concerning their exposure to the 2003 SARS outbreak, and the ways in which the outbreak had affected their mental health. RESULTS: About 10% of the respondents had experienced high levels of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms since the SARS outbreak. Respondents who had been quarantined, or worked in high-risk locations such as SARS wards, or had friends or close relatives who contracted SARS, were 2 to 3 times more likely to have high PTS symptom levels, than those without these exposures. Respondents' perceptions of SARS-related risks were significantly positively associated with PTS symptom levels and partially mediated the effects of exposure. Altruistic acceptance of work-related risks was negatively related to PTS levels. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological impact of stressful events related to an infectious disease outbreak may be mediated by peoples' perceptions of those events; altruism may help to protect some health care workers against these negative impacts.
Authors: Leslie A Nickell; Eric J Crighton; C Shawn Tracy; Hadi Al-Enazy; Yemisi Bolaji; Sagina Hanjrah; Ayesha Hussain; Samia Makhlouf; Ross E G Upshur Journal: CMAJ Date: 2004-03-02 Impact factor: 8.262
Authors: Rima Styra; Laura Hawryluck; Susan Robinson; Sonja Kasapinovic; Calvin Fones; Wayne L Gold Journal: J Psychosom Res Date: 2008-02 Impact factor: 3.006
Authors: Emma K PeConga; Gabrielle M Gauthier; Ash Holloway; Rosemary S W Walker; Peter L Rosencrans; Lori A Zoellner; Michele Bedard-Gilligan Journal: Psychol Trauma Date: 2020-06-04