Study: SARS Care Took Toll on Health Workers

Canadian researchers say many staffers worked on despite feeling symptoms

FRIDAY, Sept. 9, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- Canadian health-care providers experienced elevated levels of stress during the 2003 Toronto outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), particularly those providing direct care to infected patients, a new study shows.

Some also reported going to work despite feeling SARS-like symptoms.

The study shows that, in the event of any future pandemic, "Our health-care providers are going to need tremendous help," according to Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In a prepared statement, he said that any global outbreak "will cause widespread dislocations and, in all cases, a lot of planning is needed to avoid the worst consequences that might befall us."

The study, led by Sherry Grace of the University Health Network in Toronto, appears in the September/October issue of Psychosomatics.

About 45 percent of Toronto doctors providing direct care to SARS patients reported higher rates of psychological distress, compared with 17 percent of doctors not providing such care, the researchers found.

Despite their stress, the doctors possessed and applied coping skills that proved fairly resilient, and continued to feel it was their duty as physicians to care for highly infectious patients with life-threatening diseases.

There were unforeseen drawbacks to that sense of duty, however, the Toronto researchers noted.

Of 193 physicians surveyed by mail, 21 continued to work despite experiencing SARS-like symptoms.

The main source of stress for respondents was that the SARS outbreak diminished their ability to care for non-SARS patients, as the outbreak caused widespread suspensions of clinical services, as well as quarantines.

More information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about SARS .

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