Head lice: the feelings people have.
BACKGROUND
Head lice are a source of amusement for outsiders and an embarrassing nuisance to those who have to deal with them. Our study collected the emotions experienced by people dealing with head lice. An area with extremely sparse literature, our purpose is to inform the development of more effective programs to control head lice.


METHODS
We asked "what were your feelings upon discovery of head lice?" as part of a study exploring the experience of those treating head lice. A short questionnaire was available via the authors' head lice information internet site. A total of 294 eligible responses were collected over several months and analyzed, supported by QSR N6.


RESULTS
The predominantly female (90 · 9%) respondents were residents of Australia (56 · 1%), USA (20 · 4%), Canada (7 · 2%), or UK (4 · 4%), and working full-time (43·0%) or part-time (34 · 2%). Reactions and feelings fell into three categories: strong (n = 320; 79% of all stated emotions), mediocre (n = 56; 20%), and neutral (n = 29; 9 · 8%). There were no positive emotions.


CONCLUSIONS
The significant negative reaction was expected. The range of feeling expressed demonstrates the stigma held for these ectoparasites within western market economies. This contrasts with conceptions of head lice in traditional societies. The negative social effects of this perception create more problematic issues than the infection itself; these include quarantine, overtreatment, and a potentially negative psychological impact. Head lice control strategies and programs that address these negative emotional reactions may prove more effective than current biomedical focus.
Anton Breinl Centre for Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Julie C
JC
Parison
Richard
R
Speare
Deon V
DV
Canyon
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D000786:Anger; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010373:Lice Infestations / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D010374:Pediculus; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000469:parasitology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires