Posttraumatic Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Survivors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

This study examines the psychological impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 195 adult patients in Hong Kong. The Impact of Event Scale—Revised and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered to patients 1 month after their discharge. Of the participants 10% to 18% reported symptoms related to posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Symptom severity was associated with high perceived life threat and low emotional support. Women and participants who had low education level were more likely to have symptoms of avoidance. Participants who personally knew someone who had SARS were more likely to be affected by depressive symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a previously unknown coronavirus, infected 8,000 people and claimed more than 900 lives worldwide in just a few months (World Health Organization, 2003). The confrontation with the diagnosis of SARS, the experience of physical impairment and treatments, and the witnessing of events in the ward, such as emergency resuscitation procedures and death, all constituted a uniquely terrifying experience for SARS patients. According to previous studies, the onset of a sudden and immediately life-threatening illness could lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The prevalence rates of PTSD in medical studies have varied from 1% to 5% for childbirth, from 14% to 59% for a lifethreatening situation in an intensive care unit (ICU), and from 0% to 60% for cancer. The incidence found across studies varied according to the inclusion of subclinical