How do Crisis Vents affect people?
Communities can be severely affected by Ebola disease in many ways. People are separated from their loved ones, due to illness or death. Health workers need to deal with a high workload and a lot of stress. Those associated with Ebola can be vulnerable to social stigma, worsening their distress and isolation. Ultimately, whole communities may experience the fear and suffering that disease outbreaks often cause.
Although these events affect everyone in some way, people can experience a wide range of reactions. They can feel overwhelmed, confused or very uncertain about what is happening. They can feel fearful and anxious, or numb and detached. Some people may have mild reactions, whereas others may have more severe reactions. In general, how someone reacts depends on many factors, including: » the nature and severity of the event; » their experience with previous distressing events; » the support they have in their life from others; » their physical health; » their personal and family history of mental health problems; » their cultural background and traditions; » their age (for example, children of different age groups react differently).
It is also important to remember that Ebola influences how we normally provide support to each other (e.g., by not being able to touch people) and how we cope with the death of our loved ones (e.g., by not being able to engage in traditional burials). This can severely worsen people’s distress.
Every person has strengths and abilities to help them cope with life’s challenges. However, some people are particularly vulnerable in a crisis situation and may need extra help. This includes people who may be at risk of being infected, such as those who have been in contact with someone sick with symptoms of Ebola (e.g., health care providers) or people who have attended the funeral of someone who has recently died of Ebola (e.g., relatives of people with Ebola). Other vulnerable people may include those who need additional support because of their age (children and the elderly), because they have a mental or physical disability, or because they belong to marginalized groups (including migrants). Children whose parents died of the disease, and Ebola survivors, may be stigmatised and rejected by their communities. Therefore, they may not receive the support they need.
