Adjustment outcomes in Chinese patients following one-month recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome in Hong Kong.

This study aimed to examine the short-term adjustment outcomes including distress, self-esteem, and quality of life among Chinese patients after 1-month recovery from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong and to investigate the predictive abilities of a set of selected variables on the outcomes. At 1-month recovery, 100 SARS survivors (mean age = 37; 66 women) and 184 community subjects completed self-administered questionnaires. In the General Health Questionnaire-28, 61% of the SARS survivors were identified as distressed cases under a conservative cutoff score of 6. Compared with the community sample, SARS survivors had significantly more distress and poor quality of life. Being a healthcare worker, severity of SARS symptoms, steroid dosage, and social support accounted for a portion of variances of different measures. Early psychiatric screening and intervention may be beneficial for the adjustment of SARS survivors after short-term recovery. Future research on the long-term impact of SARS is recommended.

Psychiatric complications in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) during the acute treatment phase: a series of 10 cases.

In February 2003, Hong Kong was hit by a community-wide outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). During the period of the outbreak, 10 patients with SARS with psychiatric complications were referred to our Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry Team for assessment and management. We found that both the direct and indirect effects of SARS such as symptom severity, total isolation during treatment and administration of steroid were probable causes of psychiatric complications. In this paper, we report on the nature of their psychiatric problems, challenges to management and psychiatric treatment strategies used during the acute phase.