School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Interdisciplinary Centre for Black Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; University of Ottawa Research Chair on Black Health, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
J Affect Disord. 2024 Dec 1;366:402-410. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.151. Epub 2024 Aug 27.
To date, only three studies investigated the mental health of youth affected by Ebola virus disease (EVD). None explored anxiety and psychological distress symptoms in survivors or orphans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and determinants of anxiety and psychological distress symptoms among survivors and orphans of the 2018-2020 Ebola epidemic in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A representative sample of 416 participants (mean age = 13.37, SD = 2.79, 51.20 % girls, 146 survivors, 233 orphans, and 34 orphan-survivor participants) completed measures evaluating anxiety, psychological distress, exposure, resilience, stigmatization related to Ebola and COVID-19.
55.88 % and 55.96 % of survivors and orphans experienced severe symptoms of anxiety and psychological distress. Participants who were both survivors and orphans presented higher prevalence of anxiety and psychological distress (94.12 % and 100 %) compared to survivors (74.03 % and 81.82 %) or orphans (37.99 % and 33.33 %), χ = 70.63, p < .001; χ = 113.50, p < .001. Ebola and COVID-19 related stigmatization were the most important determinants of anxiety (B = 0.40, p < .001; B = 0.37, p < .001) and psychological distress (B = 0.48, p < .001; B = 0.44, p < .001). Resilience was negatively associated with both anxiety and psychological distress. The final regression models explained 49 % and 85 % of the variance of anxiety and psychological distress.
The cross-sectional design used prevents to establish causal link.
Ebola children and adolescents' survivors and orphans are at major risk of experiencing anxiety and psychological distress in Eastern RDC affected by years of armed conflict. Massive resources are needed to develop and implement programs to reduce stigma and support mental health.
迄今为止，仅有三项研究调查了埃博拉病毒病 (EVD) 影响下的青年的心理健康。没有研究探索过幸存者或孤儿的焦虑和心理困扰症状。本研究旨在调查 2018-2020 年刚果民主共和国东部埃博拉疫情期间 COVID-19 大流行期间幸存者和孤儿的焦虑和心理困扰症状的患病率及其决定因素。
代表性样本 416 名参与者（平均年龄 13.37 岁，标准差 2.79，51.20%为女孩，146 名幸存者，233 名孤儿和 34 名孤儿-幸存者参与者）完成了评估焦虑、心理困扰、暴露、适应力、与埃博拉和 COVID-19 相关的污名化的措施。
55.88%和 55.96%的幸存者和孤儿经历了严重的焦虑和心理困扰症状。与幸存者（74.03%和 81.82%）或孤儿（37.99%和 33.33%）相比，同时是幸存者和孤儿的参与者焦虑和心理困扰的发生率更高（94.12%和 100%），χ2=70.63，p<0.001；χ2=113.50，p<0.001。与埃博拉和 COVID-19 相关的污名化是焦虑（B=0.40，p<0.001；B=0.37，p<0.001）和心理困扰（B=0.48，p<0.001；B=0.44，p<0.001）最重要的决定因素。适应力与焦虑和心理困扰呈负相关。最终的回归模型解释了焦虑和心理困扰的 49%和 85%的方差。
使用的横断面设计阻碍了建立因果关系。
在受多年武装冲突影响的刚果民主共和国东部，埃博拉儿童和青少年幸存者和孤儿有很大的焦虑和心理困扰风险。需要大量资源来制定和实施减少污名化和支持心理健康的计划。
