A qualitative inquiry into stigma among patients with Covid-19 in Chennai, India

Abstract

ntroduction: The Covid-19 pandemic has left a serious impact on the lives of people globally. One key social consequence of the infection has been the stigma associated with it. Objectives: This study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of stigma among persons who have recovered from Covid-19 in Chennai, India. Methods: In depth telephonic interviews were conducted among 12 persons who had recovered from Covid-19 in Chennai. The participants were encouraged to narrate their experiences of stigma. The telephonic interviews were transcribed and coded by both the researchers. The codes were then grouped into meaningful themes and the lived experiences of stigma described with the help of rich narrative quotes. Results: The common manifestations of stigma were exclusion from public spaces and essential services, loss of livelihood, loss of social support and, in an extreme case, physical violence. The stigma was also manifested in health facilities in the form of neglect, and rude and insensitive treatment of patients. The factors that aggravated the stigma included fear of infection, lack of information, legitimisation of segregation by forced public health interventions, involvement of police in contact tracing, and isolation. Stigma was associated with psychosocial consequences such as loneliness, uncertainty, anxiety, anger, and humiliation. Demonstration of empathy, advances in communication technology, solidarity in communities and protecting confidentiality could potentially mitigate stigma. The intersectionality of age, gender, poverty, and disability worsened the experience of stigma. Conclusions: People who had recovered from Covid-19 experienced various degrees of social stigma. The future impact of the pandemic will depend strongly on the ability of health systems to address stigma.

COVID-19-related Stigma Among the Affected Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study From Kerala, India

“…Stigma can also act as a risk factor for anxiety and depression of the affected individual. 12 , 21 , 22 COVID-19-related stigma can also contribute to depression in nonaffected individuals. 23 Anticipatory stigma refers to the affected person’s fear about how society will react to them after their recovery.…”

Positive and Negative Consequences of COVID-19 Based on Perspectives of Recovered Women from COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

“…In a qualitative study on individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 infection, the usual manifestations of stigma were rejection from public spaces,decrease in social support, decrease in income,and physical violence. Also, some factors that exacerbated the stigma were lack of information, fear of infection, the implication of police in contact tracing, segregation, and legitimization of isolation by obliged public health interventions [35]. Some participantspresentedthe feeling ofemptiness and meaningless of life.Specialists have indicated that feelings during a pandemic are very similar to grief, and individuals experience distressand emptiness, which can result in a loss of meaning in life [36,37].…”

The scar that takes time to heal: A systematic review of COVID-19-related stigma targets, antecedents, and outcomes

“…First, COVID-19 patients suffer from verbal abuse, social isolation, and rejection 31,32 . These experiences of social stigma even spread to suspected patients 21 and can persist into the recovery stage as numerous COVID-19 survivors have reported being excluded and rejected by neighbors, public spaces, workplaces, and healthcare facilities 33 . Indeed, a largescale study involving 411 HCWs from 173 countries showed that more than one-fifth of participants perceived social stigma toward (suspected) COVID-19 patients and survivors 34 .…”

“…Emotion. Stigmatizers' COVID-19-related emotions (e.g., fear 33,63,67,73,74,75,76 , and anxiety 76 ) influence their stigmatizing attitudes because stigmatization is used as a coping mechanism for negative emotions arising from the pandemic. COVID-19 induces a lot of negative emotions (e.g., fear, anxiety, and anger), and individuals use stigmatization as a coping strategy to deal with these negative emotions 74 .…”

“…First, low-quality and poorly regulated messages (e.g., misinformation, and irresponsible reporting) contribute to stigma toward (suspected) patients and survivors by creating misconceptions about COVID-19. One qualitative study 33 and one review 64 showed that lack of COVID-19 information in the media creates fear and uncertainty, which aggravate stigma toward (suspected) patients and survivors. Misinformation and fake news in the media also create misconceptions about COVID-19, which also contribute to stigma toward (suspected) patients and survivors 33,63,78 .…”