Stigma hurts mental health of COVID-19 survivors

Survivors of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) face social stigma when they return to their communities. Such stigma appears to harm mental health, reports a recent study.

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 547 COVID-19 survivors (aged ≥20 years, 50.27 percent men). Stigma was measured using the Berger HIV Stigma Scale, while the WHO Quality of Life Brief Form was used to assess quality of life (QoL). The impacts of stigma on mental health were evaluated using the Mental Health Inventory-38 and binary logistic regression tests.

Majority of participants (70.02 percent) experienced medium stigma after recovery, while almost half had lowered QoL (45.52 percent) and mental health (49.54 percent).

Notably, experiencing medium stigma increased the likelihood of low QoL by nearly five times relative to low stigma (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.874, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 2.451–9.691; p=0.000). A similarly significant effect was reported for high stigma, though at a much lower magnitude (adjusted OR, 1.744, 95 percent CI, 1.032–2.946; p=0.038).

Similarly, both medium (adjusted OR, 5.354, 95 percent CI, 2.671–10.734; p=0.000) and high stigma (adjusted OR, 1.840, 95 percent CI, 1.058–3.199; p=0.031) significantly correlated with low mental health.

“COVID-19 survivors are a vulnerable group, and it is essential to identify new strategies to promote the well-being of this group as soon as possible. Our findings can inform policymakers to ensure the availability of a safe environment supported by respectful care,” the researchers said.

“Urgent action is required to destigmatize COVID-19 at every level, ranging from personal to policy,” they added.