The cycle fear: A qualitative study of SARS and its impacts on kindergarten parents one year after the outbreak

Abstract

Objective: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 killed 299 people in Hong Kong and resulted in tremendous psychological, social, and economic impacts. Design: Qualitative Study. Subjects: Parents of kindergarten pupils. Main outcome measures: Themes and ideas generated from the interviews on the informants' attitude toward SARS and their rationale behind such feelings; how they acted to protect their children, themselves, other family members and themselves from the disease as well as access to and opinion of the health information about SARS. Results: Emphasis on possible rational behaviour changes and a resultant better self-control was found to mitigate fear in an epidemic crisis. In particular this study revealed how the policy of imposed isolation was deeply detested by the public. We also highlighted interactions between fear, stigma, behavioural changes, social impact, and the modulating variables in the Fear Cycle model from a medico-sociological perspective. Conclusion: The early education of children and the general public may serve the most appropriate first line of defense for public health in face of future infectious disease outbreak. This model helps provide insights for policy makers in devising an intervention plan for the prevention and control of epidemics in the future.