Mental distress among Liberian medical staff working at the China Ebola Treatment Unit: a cross sectional study.

Li Li,Chengzhong Li,Chun Liang,Zhiqing He,Jue Chen,Yi Liu,Ru Ding,Zonggui Wu,Changli Wan

doi:10.1186/s12955-015-0341-2

Abstract

BackgroundEbola virus outbreak in West Africa not only triggered a grave public health crisis, but also exerted and induced huge mental distress on medical staff, which would negatively influence epidemic control and social rebuilt furthermore. We chose the local medical staff working at the China Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) to explore the severity of potential mental distress and involved potential causes.MethodsA descriptive study using the Symptom Check List 90 - Revised (SCL90-R) questionnaire to assess psychological health status was conducted among 52 Liberian medical staff. Global indices, including Global Severity Index (GSI), Positive Symptom Total (PST) and Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI), and nine subscales based on 90 inquiry items were compared among gender, work duty and other subgroups. Data were analyzed using Graphpad Prism and SPSS software.ResultsMental distress among participants was not very serious; only PSDI, paranoid ideation and interpersonal sensitivity numerically increased relative to changes in other categories. While male medics and those responsible for cleaning and disinfection showed significant increases in scores for psychological dimensions, such as obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation and positive symptom total.ConclusionsData of this study implies that the psychological health status of medical staff within the special social environment of an Ebola treatment unit should warrant more attention.

Highlights

Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa triggered a grave public health crisis, and exerted and induced huge mental distress on medical staff, which would negatively influence epidemic control and social rebuilt
Located at Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia, the Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) counts with a team that has been in place and in full operation since setup in October 2014 and could be used as a representative sample of local medical staff fighting against Ebola
Since such study was done during the prevailing period of Ebola, it was very dangerous and not possible for us to go to other ETUs in Liberia to enroll more participants, the snow sampling strategy was used and we enrolled all the Liberian medics in our ETUs only according with the above inclusion criteria

Summary

Introduction

Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa triggered a grave public health crisis, and exerted and induced huge mental distress on medical staff, which would negatively influence epidemic control and social rebuilt . We chose the local medical staff working at the China Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) to explore the severity of potential mental distress and involved potential causes. Li et al Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2015) 13:156 to prepare regional or global public crisis These Liberian medical peers worked in China Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) that were swiftly organized and deployed by the Chinese government in an international collaboration effort to aid West Africa combat Ebola [7]. Located at Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Stadium in Monrovia, Liberia, the ETU counts with a team that has been in place and in full operation since setup in October 2014 and could be used as a representative sample of local medical staff fighting against Ebola

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