Psychosocial impacts of quarantine among survivors of the Nipah virus infection: a qualitative study

Abstract

# Background Quarantine is one of the best measures to prevent the community spread of any infectious diseases. The study focused on the psychosocial impacts of quarantine among the survivors of the highly fatal viral disease, Nipah virus infection (NiV), and their family members. Objective of the study was to examine the psychosocial impact of quarantine on NiV survivors and families being quarantined because of exposure to NiV infection. # Methods We used qualitative in-depth interviews, Focus group discussions and Narratives of a participant observer to explore the psychosocial impacts of Quarantine during the NiV outbreak. We identified 2 major themes for doing the in-depth interview and focus group discussions: (i) quarantine experience, (ii) its impact on the family and social living and subject’s working environment. # Results The identified major themes are the following, Stroke on the community structure, public mistrust, psychosocial sequelae experienced by the grass root level health care workers, stigma in the community and social percussions. # Conclusions Quarantine measures were effective when controlling an infectious disease spread, but it imparts many long lasting consequences on the psychological and social wellbeing of the individual. Better understanding these consequences will help to plan interventions incorporating this knowledge in future outbreaks of similar types.