Long-term psychological and occupational effects of providing hospital healthcare during SARS outbreak.
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.
Maunder
Robert G
RG
Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. rmaunder@mtsinai.on.ca
Lancee
William J
WJ
Balderson
Kenneth E
KE
Bennett
Jocelyn P
JP
Borgundvaag
Bjug
B
Evans
Susan
S
Fernandes
Christopher M B
CM
Goldbloom
David S
DS
Gupta
Mona
M
Hunter
Jonathan J
JJ
McGillis Hall
Linda
L
Nagle
Lynn M
LM
Pain
Clare
C
Peczeniuk
Sonia S
SS
Raymond
Glenna
G
Read
Nancy
N
Rourke
Sean B
SB
Steinberg
Rosalie J
RJ
Stewart
Thomas E
TE
VanDeVelde-Coke
Susan
S
Veldhorst
Georgina G
GG
Wasylenki
Donald A
DA
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*