Mental Morbidities and Chronic Fatigue in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Survivors

Abstract

The world was struck by a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2003, resulting in considerable morbidities and mortalities. A substantial proportion of SARS survivors experienced SARS-related physical complications, including avascular necrosis (AVN),¹ pulmonary fibrosis,² and hypocortisolism.³ The physical conditions of most of the patients continuously improved in the first year of follow-up, but their mental conditions showed limited signs of improvement.⁴ The 1-year follow-up study after the outbreak found that some SARS survivors had persistent mental problems.^4,5 Many studies found that the status of being a health care worker at the time of SARS infection,^5-10 the severity of the infection, and the dosage of steroid usage were related to the short-term mental outcomes. However, these studies were limited by the relatively modest sample sizes and the reliance on self-reported questionnaires. In addition, prominent fatigue was commonly reported among SARS survivors, but its magnitude was seldom investigated. In this regard, there was a dearth of long-term follow-up data regarding the mental sequelae and the impact of fatigue among these patients. We investigated the long-term aftermath of SARS survivors, focusing on psychiatric morbidities, chronic fatigue, and associated factors.