Up to 50 per cent of Sars survivors still suffer from mental problems six years after the outbreak, raising concern that more needs to be done to deal with the psychological impact of pandemics on patients.
Doctors say the problems they experience are similar to those that affect people hit by such natural disasters as earthquakes and tsunami.
A study by the United Christian Hospital 21/2 years after the outbreak found that 60 per cent of 90 Sars survivors were suffering psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Six years on, between 20 and 50 per cent still had problems of different kinds, according to Mak Wing-chit of the hospital's psychiatry department, one of the researchers.
Patients suffering from post-traumatic stress often experience flashbacks and nightmares that are easily triggered by small things which remind them of the trauma. Earthquake and tsunami survivors often have such symptoms.
But unlike natural disasters, the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome was lasting longer because patients were treated over a longer period, and so the time they experienced feeling of helplessness would be longer, Dr Mak said. 'Sars patients were isolated and no one could give them direct support. They were uncertain of their health because the disease was novel,' Dr Mak said.
Another doctor on the research team, Chu Chung-ming, said: 'Those who experienced a great fire would be scared of going to a barbecue. Similarly, cloudy and wet spring days would remind Sars patients of their experience.' He said some patients complained of pain all over their bodies even though X-rays showed they had no physical problems. 'The pain might be caused psychologically,' Dr Chu said.
