Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

February 14, 2020

Is quarantine related to immediate negative psychological consequences during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic?

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  • This study examined the relationship between quarantine and immediate negative psychological impacts at a Chinese university during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak. 
  • Researchers concluded that there was no significant difference in symptoms of PTSD and general mental health between the groups who were and were not quarantined, though those who were dissatisfied with the control measures or who perceived hazard to their health demonstrated worse psychological symptoms than those who did not.
  • Findings were inconsistent with some prior literature; however, long-term psychological effects on quarantine groups were not evaluated nor were data broadly representative of the general population.
  • The authors advise against concluding that quarantine has no connection to negative psychosocial effects, emphasizing that specific circumstances 

Wang et al. (2011). Is quarantine related to immediate negative psychological consequences during the 2009 H1N1 epidemic? General Hospital Psychiatry, 33(2011).