Stigma experienced by men diagnosed with COVID-19

Sousa, Anderson Reis de; Cerqueira, Sheila Santa Barbara; Santana, Thiago da Silva; Suto, Cleuma Sueli Santos; Almeida, Éric Santos; Brito, Luana Santana; Aparicio, Elena Casado; Carvalho, Evanilda Souza de Santana

doi:10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0038

Cited by 5 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Across the globe, people infected with or recovered from SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) became a target of ostracism, humiliation, harassment and even violence. Studies from Pakistan, Uganda, Malaysia, India, China, Ghana, Iran and Brazil found that COVID-19 survivors and even their families were often rejected from social life or essential services and felt humiliated 12–21. COVID-19 survivors were blamed for the disease13 15 16 and perceived as a source of infection even after being cured,12 16 21 22 some reported finical hardship as a consequence 13 19 23.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies from Pakistan, Uganda, Malaysia, India, China, Ghana, Iran and Brazil found that COVID-19 survivors and even their families were often rejected from social life or essential services and felt humiliated 12–21. COVID-19 survivors were blamed for the disease13 15 16 and perceived as a source of infection even after being cured,12 16 21 22 some reported finical hardship as a consequence 13 19 23. Stereotyping was common,15 especially blaming the poor, labourers and migrants16 or people of seemingly Asian origin 24–26.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experienced stigma and applied coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a mixed-methods study

et al. 2022

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ObjectiveHealth-related stigma is considered a social determinant of health equity and a hidden burden of disease. This study aimed to assess the level and dimensions of stigma and respective coping mechanisms in COVID-19 survivors.MethodsA mixed-methods study with sequential explanatory design was conducted at the University Hospital of Ulm, Germany. Stigma was assessed using the Social Impact Scale (SIS) including adult COVID-19 survivors with mild-to-severe disease. Subsequently, 14 participants were sampled with regard to gender, age and severity of disease for in-depth interviews to understand how stigma was experienced and coping strategies were applied. The questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistics, t-test and analysis of variance. Content analysis was used for qualitative data.ResultsFrom 61 participants, 58% were men and mean age was 51 years. The quantitative analysis of the SIS indicated an intermediate level of experienced stigma. Participants experienced stigma mainly as ‘social rejection’ (M=14.22, SD=4.91), followed by ‘social isolation’ (M=10.17, SD=4.16) and ‘internalised shame’ (M=8.39, SD=3.32). There was no significant difference in experienced stigma regarding gender, education, occupational status or residual symptoms. However, participants between 30 and 39 years of age experienced higher levels of stigma than other age groups (p=0.034). The qualitative analysis revealed how stigma seemed to arise from misconceptions creating irrational fear of infection, leading to stereotyping, vilification, discrimination and social exclusion of COVID-19 survivors, leaving them feeling vulnerable. Stigma cut through all social levels, from the individual level at the bottom to the institutional and societal level at the top. Social networks protected from experiencing stigma.ConclusionCOVID-19-related stigma is a relevant burden in the ongoing pandemic. Providing accurate information and exposing misinformation on disease prevention and treatment seems key to end COVID-19-related stigma.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experienced stigma and applied coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a mixed-methods study

et al. 2022

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“…The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has killed more men than women ( Conti et al, 2020 ), as first observed in China ( La Vignera et al, 2020 ), the country where the pandemic originated, and later on in European countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain ( World Health Organization, 2020a ). Brazil has a similar epidemiological behavior ( Ministério da Saúde, 2022 ; de Sousa, Cerqueira, et al., 2022 ). According to data from the Ministry of Health, 53% of the deaths due to COVID-19 correspond to male individuals ( Ministério da Saúde, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Currently, a number of studies aim at identifying the determinants that drive higher mortality rates due to COVID-19 in the male population, suggesting that factors associated with lifestyle, such as smoking and alcoholism, and the delay in seeking health services may be involved ( World Health Organization, 2020a , 2020b ), in addition to biological vulnerability factors that may also be associated ( Alwani et al, 2021 ; de Sousa, Teixeira, et al, 2022 ; White & Kirby, 2020 ; Wray & Arrowsmith, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The situation is complex and represents a cataclysm that causes psychosocial repercussions of different dimensions for men’s quality of life, well-being, and physical and mental health status, requiring investigation and consideration of its impacts ( Ornell, Schuch, et al., 2020 ). Recent evidence shows that men experienced high rates of common mental disorders due to the pandemic scenario ( de Sousa, Teixeira, et al, 2022 ; de Sousa, Teixeira, et al, 2021 ; Morgan et al, 2021 ; Teixeira et al., 2022 ). Traits of hegemonic masculinity were associated with a higher degree of illness, causing physical, social, and mental harms, characterized as psychosocial repercussions ( de Sousa, Moreira, et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil and Psychosocial Repercussions on Men’s Health: Health Literacy Is Important

et al. 2022

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This study aimed at analyzing the psychosocial repercussions of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on the health of men living in Brazil. For this, we carried out a socio-historical and qualitative study, with the participation of 200 men who answered an online questionnaire. The data collected were processed in the NVIVO12® software, structured by the Collective Subject Discourse method, and analyzed from the epidemic disease theoretical framework proposed by Charles Rosenberg. Our results showed that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic brought about repercussions of different dimensions that compromised the health of men living in Brazil. The repercussions evidenced were behavioral changes and emergence of new habits due to the pandemic; uncomfortable family situations; impaired affective and sexual relationships; harms in marital relationships; and insecurity and psychological distress. It is important to implement strategies that maximize men’s health literacy, promoting better communication in terms of health, and search for help and suitable information about health/mental health.

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Social stigma during COVID-19: A systematic review

SeyedAlinaghi,

Afsahi,

Shahidi

et al. 2023

SAGE Open Medicine

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Objectives: Stigmatization was reported throughout the COVID pandemic for COVID-19 patients and close contacts. The aim of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the prevalence and impact of stigmatization during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: English articles were searched using online databases that included PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science up to 24 August 2022. A two-step screening and selection process was followed utilizing an inclusion and exclusion criteria and then data was extracted from eligible articles. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist was followed, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Seventy-six studies were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-two studies reported the prevalence of social stigma due to COVID-19 infection with social isolation being the most commonly reported stigma. There were 20 studies that reported the majority of participants experienced stigma due to COVID-19 infection, which was as high as 100% of participants in two studies. Participants in 16 studies reported blaming from others as the second most common type of stigma, with various other types reported such as psychological pressure, verbal violence, avoidance, and labeling. The most common effect of the stigma was anxiety followed by depression, and then reduction of socialization. Conclusion: Findings from the present review have identified that COVID-19-related stigma studies have generally focused on its prevalence, type, and outcome. Greater awareness of this topic may assist with improving public education during pandemics such as COVID-19 as well as access to support services for individuals impacted by stigmatization.

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Stigma experienced by men diagnosed with COVID-19

Cited by 5 publications

References 34 publications

Experienced stigma and applied coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a mixed-methods study

Experienced stigma and applied coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a mixed-methods study

SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil and Psychosocial Repercussions on Men’s Health: Health Literacy Is Important

Social stigma during COVID-19: A systematic review

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