TY - JOUR
T1 - Effectiveness of small group cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression in Ebola treatment centre staff in Sierra Leone
AU - Cole, Charles L.
AU - Waterman, Samantha
AU - Hunter, Elaine Catherine Margaret
AU - Bell, Vaughan
AU - Greenberg, Neil
AU - Rubin, G. James
AU - Beck, Alison
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) were commissioned to provide a ‘culturally appropriate, effective and sustainable’ intervention to address the psychological needs of the Sierra Leonean Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) staff. The study evaluated the effectiveness of group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) developed to treat anxiety, depression and functional impairment amongst a sample of former ETC staff in Sierra Leone. Group comparisons explored whether the effect of the intervention differed dependent on the facilitators that delivered it, as well as whether it differed between former staff of high- and low-risk ETC roles. A sample of 253 former ETC staff attended the group CBT intervention comprised of eight sessions over six weeks. Outcome measures were administered upon entry and within two weeks after the intervention. At post-intervention, anxiety, depression and functional impairment significantly reduced. Reading ability (RA) was introduced as a covariate having impacted the outcomes. The intervention effect differed by facilitators delivering the sessions but not by ETC role risk. The implications of these results are discussed. Group CBT is a promising psychological intervention for treating the anxiety, depression and functional impairment of former ETC staff in Sierra Leone. Furthermore, as part of a stepped-care approach, it may provide a model for psychological support for staff that have worked on the frontline during future epidemics.
AB - Following the 2014 Ebola outbreak, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) were commissioned to provide a ‘culturally appropriate, effective and sustainable’ intervention to address the psychological needs of the Sierra Leonean Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) staff. The study evaluated the effectiveness of group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) developed to treat anxiety, depression and functional impairment amongst a sample of former ETC staff in Sierra Leone. Group comparisons explored whether the effect of the intervention differed dependent on the facilitators that delivered it, as well as whether it differed between former staff of high- and low-risk ETC roles. A sample of 253 former ETC staff attended the group CBT intervention comprised of eight sessions over six weeks. Outcome measures were administered upon entry and within two weeks after the intervention. At post-intervention, anxiety, depression and functional impairment significantly reduced. Reading ability (RA) was introduced as a covariate having impacted the outcomes. The intervention effect differed by facilitators delivering the sessions but not by ETC role risk. The implications of these results are discussed. Group CBT is a promising psychological intervention for treating the anxiety, depression and functional impairment of former ETC staff in Sierra Leone. Furthermore, as part of a stepped-care approach, it may provide a model for psychological support for staff that have worked on the frontline during future epidemics.
KW - anxiety and depression
KW - CBT
KW - disaster response
KW - Ebola virus disease
KW - Sierra Leone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85084087182&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09540261.2020.1750800
DO - 10.1080/09540261.2020.1750800
M3 - Article
C2 - 32301358
AN - SCOPUS:85084087182
SN - 0954-0261
JO - International Review of Psychiatry
JF - International Review of Psychiatry
ER -
