Ebola takes mental health toll where 'life has frozen' in Sierra Leone

THE GUARDIAN   by Lisa O'Carroll                            Jan, 12, 2015

Ebola is causing mental health problems in Sierra Leone, with the country’s overstretched health system unable to deal with the psychosocial legacy of the outbreak, according to a report by the International Medical Corps (pdf).

Children at an MSF Ebola treatment centre in Kailahun, Sierra Leone, with a psychologist, who looks after family members, patients and staff dealing with stigmatisation and death. Photograph: Joffrey Monnier/MSF

Fear, panic, stress, shame and isolation are increasingly common feelings, says IMC, an NGO that conducted interviews, focus groups and surveys in the town of Lunsar – the capital of Port Loko and one of the worst-hit districts in the country. The area was neglected in the earlier stages of the outbreak before IMC opened a hospital in December.

The NGO warns that psychosocial and mental health need to be considered part of the Ebola response in treatment facilities and community outreach, as well as in the longer term to make mental health an integral part of the country’s health system when it can rebuild.

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http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jan/12/ebola-mental-health-sierra-leone-depression
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http://www.internationalmedicalcorps.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMC-Sierra-Leone-Dec-2014-Ebola-MHPSS-Assessment.pdf