title: Long-term psychological and occupational effects of providing hospital healthcare during SARS outbreak.
abstract: Healthcare workers (HCWs) found the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to be stressful, but the long-term impact is not known. From 13 to 26 months after the SARS outbreak, 769 HCWs at 9 Toronto hospitals that treated SARS patients and 4 Hamilton hospitals that did not treat SARS patients completed a survey of several adverse outcomes. Toronto HCWs reported significantly higher levels of burnout (p = 0.019), psychological distress (p<0.001), and posttraumatic stress (p<0.001). Toronto workers were more likely to have reduced patient contact and work hours and to report behavioral consequences of stress. Variance in adverse outcomes was explained by a protective effect of the perceived adequacy of training and support and by a provocative effect of maladaptive coping style and other individual factors. The results reinforce the value of effective staff support and training in preparation for future outbreaks.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. rmaunder@mtsinai.on.ca
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Maunder
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lancee
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Balderson
authors.forename: Jocelyn P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Bjug
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Borgundvaag
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Christopher M B
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Goldbloom
authors.forename: Mona
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Jonathan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McGillis Hall
authors.forename: Lynn M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nagle
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pain
authors.forename: Sonia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Peczeniuk
authors.forename: Glenna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Sean B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Rourke
authors.forename: Rosalie J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: VanDeVelde-Coke
authors.forename: Georgina G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Veldhorst
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Wasylenki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*