A community-based contact isolation strategy to reduce the spread of Ebola virus disease: an analysis of the 2018–2020 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Year of Publication: 2021
Abstract summary
Objectives
Health and mental health characteristics of all respondents, barriers to accessing health and mental health services and the characteristics and those most at risk for mental health disorders.
Setting
Beni, Butembo and Katwa health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Participants
The sample contained 223 Ebola survivors, 102 sexual partners and 74 comparison respondents living in the same areas of the survivors. Survivors were eligible if aged >18 years with confirmed Ebola-free status. The comparison group was neither a survivor nor a partner of a survivor and did not have any household members who contracted Ebola virus disease (EVD).
Primary and secondary outcome measures
Health and mental health characteristics, barriers to care and the association of association of mental health disorders with study population characteristics.
Results
Funding was a barrier to accessing needed health services among all groups. Nearly one-third (28.4%, 95% CI 18.0% to 38.7%) of comparison households avoided getting injections for their children. Although most pregnant women were attending antenatal care, less than 40% of respondents stated EVD precautions were discussed at those visits. Trouble sleeping and anger were the strongest predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety and suicide attempts with 3-fold to 16-fold increases in the odds of these disorders. There was a 71% decrease in the odds of MDD if current substance abuse (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.67; p<0.01) was reported.
Study Outcome
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Statistics
Citations : 5844Authors : 0
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050349SSN : issn009