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Experiences of Ebola Survivors: Causes of Distress and Sources of Resilience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2017

Patricia M. Schwerdtle ,
Veronique De Clerck  and
Virginia Plummer
Patricia M. Schwerdtle*
Affiliation:
Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Nursing & Midwifery, Melbourne, Australia
Veronique De Clerck
Affiliation:
Médecins Sans Frontières, Brussels, Belgium
Virginia Plummer
Affiliation:
Monash University, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Nursing & Midwifery, Melbourne, Australia Peninsula Health, Frankston, Victoria, Australia
*
Correspondence: Patricia Schwerdtle, MPH PO Box 527 Frankston, Victoria, 3199 Australia E-mail: patricia.schwerdtle@monash.edu.
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Abstract

Introduction

An appreciation of the experience of Ebola survivors is critical for community engagement and an effective outbreak response. Few qualitative, descriptive studies have been conducted to date that concentrate on the voices of Ebola survivors.

Problem

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Ebola survivors following the West African epidemic of 2014.

Method

An interpretive, qualitative design was selected using semi-structured interviews as the method of data collection. Data were collected in August 2015 by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium, for the purposes of internal evaluation. Data collection occurred at three sites in Liberia and Sierra Leone and involved 25 participants who had recovered from Ebola. Verbal consent was obtained, audio recordings were de-identified, and ethics approval was provided by Monash University (Melbourne, Australia).

Findings

Two major themes emerged from the study: “causes of distress” and “sources of resilience.” Two further sub-themes were identified from each major theme: the “multiplicity of death,” “abandonment,” “self and community protection and care,” and “coping resources and activities.” The two major themes were dominant across all three sample groups, though each survivor experienced infection, treatment, and recovery differently.

Conclusions

By identifying and mobilizing the inherent capacity of communities and acknowledging the importance of incorporating the social model of health into culturally competent outbreak responses, there is an opportunity to transcend the victimization effect of Ebola and empower communities, ultimately strengthening the response.

SchwerdtlePM, De ClerckV, PlummerV. Experiences of Ebola Survivors: Causes of Distress and Sources of Resilience. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):234–239.

Keywords

disease outbreaksepidemicshemorrhagic fever Ebolaqualitative researchsurvivors
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , June 2017 , pp. 234 - 239
Copyright
© World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2017 

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Footnotes

Conflicts of interest: none

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