A cross-sectional study of COVID-19-related bullying in a sample of Lebanese adults: scale validation, correlates, and mediating effect of fear and anxiety

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to prolonged exposure to stress and anxiety, raising concerns about a large spectrum of psychological side effects. The primary objective of the study was to validate the COVID-19 Bullying Scale (CBS-11). The second objective was to explore factors associated with COVID-19-related bullying and evaluate the mediating effect of fear and anxiety between knowledge and COVID-19-related bullying. Methods A cross-sectional online survey conducted between December 20, 2020, and January 5, 2021, recruited 405 Lebanese adults using a snowball sampling technique. The CBS-11, an 11-item tool specifically created for this study, was used to measure bullying behaviors towards COVID-19 patients. Results All items of the CBS-11 converged over a 1-factor solution with an eigenvalue over 1, accounting for a variance of 75.16%. The scale has a high Cronbach’s alpha (.974), indicating excellent reliability. A positive correlation was found between the COVID-19 bullying scale and fear, anxiety, and stigma discrimination. The logistic regression showed that higher fear of COVID-19 (ORa = 1.04), a positive attitude toward COVID-19 preventive measures and hygiene recommendations (ORa = 1.18), higher stigma discrimination scores (ORa = 1.09), and having a health professional family member (ORa = 2.42) were significantly associated with bullying. Conclusion Our main findings showed that the CBS-11 could be an efficient tool to measure bullying behaviors toward COVID-19 patients. Stigma discrimination and fear from COVID-19 were associated with higher bullying attitudes. Future prospective studies are needed to understand better the factors related to bullying among adults during a pandemic, such as COVID-19.

Students’ Perspectives of the Economic, Financial, and Psychological Effects of Online Learning and Its Gender Association: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jordanian Universities

“…Loneliness, isolation, and depressive feelings were reported by students during the online learning experience, with an increase in bullying among colleagues, in line with similar findings in a Canadian study that highlighted the negative impact on students' social lives and increased need for social support services [10]. Our results also supported a significant gender association with the poor psychological effects of OL, with posthoc tests indicating that more males disagreed strongly with experiencing such effects [11]. Additionally, our study found that more females strongly disagreed with the notion of no psychological effect of OL, aligning with previous studies showing females to be more psychologically affected [12].…”

Changes in social mixing and attitudes and practices to precautionary measures in a maturing COVID-19 pandemic in six communities in Sudan: a qualitative study

“…Specifically, we identified social pressures that disincentivise adherence and extend to compliance-related bullying and harassment. Previous research has described COVID-19-related bullying directed towards COVID-19 patients [ 30 ] or healthcare workers [ 31 ]. However, evidence is scarce on the impact of bullying and harassment related to compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures in low-income settings.…”

Addressing stigma in infectious disease outbreaks: a crucial step in pandemic preparedness

“…In a population-based sample of adults in Michigan, the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was higher among respondents who perceived more COVID-19 stigma (31). Higher levels of outbreakrelated anxiety in community members may consequently worsen bullying of those with the disease (38). These repercussions of stigma for affected populations perpetuate health and social inequities (24).…”