---
title: "Psychosocial Impact of Marburg Virus Disease on Recovered Patients and Frontline Health Workers in"
id: "bmj-open-3-psychosocial-impact-of-marburg-virus-disease-on-recovered-individuals-and"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-3-psychosocial-impact-of-marburg-virus-disease-on-recovered-individuals-and"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Infectious Disease"
source_name: "BMJ Open"
source_url: "http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e116055?rss=1"
published_at: "2026-09-29T13:38:23.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Feed"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Psychosocial Impact of Marburg Virus Disease on Recovered Patients and Frontline Health Workers in
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-3-psychosocial-impact-of-marburg-virus-disease-on-recovered-individuals-and
- **Specialty:** [Infectious Disease](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/infectious-disease.md)
- **Primary Source:** BMJ Open
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e116055?rss=1)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-29T13:38:23.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Kigali following the 2024 Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak, involving all eligible **recovered individuals** (n=51 invited; 29 participated) and frontline health workers (FHWs; 98 invited; 86 participated) who met eligibility criteria. - Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were measured with validated tools: PHQ-9 for **depression**, GAD-7 for **anxiety**, and PCL-5 for **PTSD**. Perceived stigma used an adapted Ebola stigma questionnaire; social support used the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MPSS). - Among participants (total n=115: 29 recovered people, 86 FHWs), 11.8% of FHWs had moderate-to-severe depression; 20.7% of recovered people had mild-to-moderate depression. - Moderate-to-severe anxiety was found in 9.4% of FHWs; 17.2% of recovered people reported mild anxiety. - A PCL-5 score above 33 (screen-positive for PTSD) occurred in 9.3% of FHWs and in one recovered individual. - Correlations: among recovered people, anxiety correlated negatively with **social support** (r = −0.36, p = 0.05). Among FHWs, MVD-related **stigma** correlated positively with PTSD symptoms (r = +0.23, p = 0.05). - Sex differences: recovered individuals showed a significant difference in PTSD symptom levels between sexes (p = 0.01). - Age and marital status associations among FHWs: depressive and anxiety symptoms decreased with increasing age (depression β = −0.19, 95% CI −0.32 to −0.05; anxiety β = −0.16, 95% CI −0.26 to −0.06). Married FHWs had lower depression (β = −2.72, 95% CI −4.96 to −0.49) and anxiety (β = −2.35, 95% CI −4.07 to −0.62) compared with single FHWs. - Six months after outbreak containment, many FHWs continued to experience **depression**, **anxiety** and **PTSD**. The authors recommend culturally adapted mental health and psychosocial support be integrated into infectious disease response plans. - Specific details on sampling procedures, response rates for invited participants, and other contextual limitations were not reported in the source summary.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
Objectives To examine the psychosocial impact of this disease on recovered individuals and frontline health workers (FHWs) following the 2024 MVD outbreak in Rwanda. Design a cross-sectional survey. Setting Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda, had two treatment centres during the outbreak of the MVD disease from 24 September to 24 October 2024. Participants All 51 recovered individuals from MVD and 98 FHWs who met the eligibility criteria were involved in the study. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), anxiety with the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and post-traumatic stress disorder using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Perceived stigma was measured using the adapted Ebola stigma and discrimination questionnaire and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale (MPSS) to assess social support. Wilcoxon rank-sum and Kruskal - Wallis tests examined differences in depression, anxiety and PTSD by sex and profession. Spearman correlation assessed relationships between variables. Results 115 participants, including 29 recovered people and 86 FHWs. 11.8% of FHWs had moderate to severe depression and 20.7% of recovered people had mild to moderate depression. Moderate to severe anxiety was exhibited by 9.4% of FHWs, and mild anxiety was reported by 17.2% of recovered people. 9.3% of FHWs and one recovered individual had a total PCL score above 33 (PTSD). Among recovered people, there was a significant negative correlation between anxiety and social support (r= - 0.36, p value=0.05) and a significant difference in PTSD symptom levels between sexes (p value=0.01). Among FHWs, MVD-related stigma was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms (r=+0.23, p value=0.05). Symptoms of depression (β coef.= - 0.19, 95% CI - 0.32, - 0.05) and anxiety (β coef.= - 0.16, 95% CI - 0.26, - 0.06) decreased with age. Married FHWs had lower levels of depression (β coef.= - 2.72, 95% CI - 4.96, - 0.49) and anxiety (β coef.= - 2.35, 95% CI - 4.07, - 0.62) compared with single individuals. Conclusion Six months post-containment of the MVD outbreak in Rwanda, many FHWs were still experiencing depression, anxiety and PTSD. Contextualised and culturally adapted mental health and psychosocial support interventions are highly recommended for integration into infectious disease response plans.
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