What is it about?
Ebola survivors are experiencing physical and mental complications. Our review identified various forms of psychological distress among Ebola survivors including depression, anxiety, anger, grief, guilt, flashbacks, sadness, worthlessness, substance addiction, suicidal tendencies and self-stigmatisation. Family and community responses to EVD survivors ranged from acceptance to rejection, isolation, stigmatisation and discrimination. EVD survivors’ coping strategies included engagement with religious faith, EVD survivors associations and involvement in EVD prevention and control interventions
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Why is it important?
Current evidence on family and community responses to Ebola survivors after discharge, or the coping mechanisms employed by Ebola survivors to overcome psychosocial challenges is also lacking. A deeper understanding of these issues can help policymakers, practitioners and health system workers design and tailor future health interventions to address the unmet psychosocial needs of Ebola survivors.
Perspectives
I hope this article will provide a succinct picture of the current evidence on the psychosocial issues Ebola survivors are currently experiencing and what strategies they are employing in addressing these challenges. Community-based mental health and other psychosocial interventions for survivors is a necessity rather than mere want. More than anything, I hope this article will help inform new and existing psychosocial interventions that will be of benefit Ebola survivors.
Dr Peter B James
Southern Cross University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Post‐Ebola psychosocial experiences and coping mechanisms among Ebola survivors: a systematic review, Tropical Medicine & International Health, March 2019, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13226.
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