Causing trouble and being transmissible: COVID-19 survivors’ experiences of stigma and discrimination in South Korea

Kang, Jiyeon; Kim, Hyang Soo; Yi, Hyun Ji; Lee, Yesung; Lee, So Hee; Song, Kyoung-Ho; Park, Hye Yeon; Oh, Hong Sang; Yoon, Doran; Choe, Pyoeng Gyun; Choi, Chong‐Ho; Sim, Minyoung; Yu, Eun-Seung; Paik, Jong Woo; Park, Hye Yoon

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1103572

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…As a result, they were exposed to violence, discrimination and racism (62). Studies suggest an increase in stigmatization and xenophobia worldwide since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (63,64). In line with the findings of this study, others have indicated that MIMs are at an additional risk of being blamed for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (30).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Experiences of male irregular migrants during their migration process and reception in Spain: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

García-López,

Jiménez-Lasserrotte,

Briones-Vozmediano

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThe causes behind migration movements are complex. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how several countries failed to respond to the virus adequately, while simultaneously infringing on people’s rights. Male irregular migrants fled their countries of origin and embarked on a perilous migration journey to Spain. The highly restrictive COVID-19 measures and border closures affected the mobility of male irregular migrants, whose reception in the host country posed a challenge. It led to the establishment of emergency facilities to accommodate male irregular migrants affected by COVID-19, which had repercussions on their mental health. The aim of this study was to describe and understand the experiences of male irregular migrants throughout their migration process and reception in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsQualitative descriptive study. Sixteen male irregular migrants participated in this study. Data were collected between January and March 2023 through 16 one-on-one in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data using ATLAS.ti computer software.ResultsThree main themes emerged: (1) How the COVID-19 pandemic drove male irregular migrants to leave their countries of origin, (2) How COVID-19 lockdown policies affected the migration journey, and (3) Receiving male irregular migrants in a pandemic: a housing labyrinth marked by isolation and loneliness.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic increased the social, employment and health inequalities experienced by male irregular migrants. Border closures exacerbated the migration journey and the social stigmatization of this group, who were seen as carriers of the virus in both transit and host countries. Strict control measures in emergency and reception facilities had a significant psychological impact on the male irregular migrants due to the social isolation they experienced. Health institutions should develop programs to guarantee the care needs of irregular migrants.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Experiences of male irregular migrants during their migration process and reception in Spain: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

García-López,

Jiménez-Lasserrotte,

Briones-Vozmediano

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

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“…Lessons learned from previous epidemics such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), HIV, and Ebola show that stigma tends to persist during and after the epidemic [19][20][21]. Various media reports document that people suspected of having COVID-19 have been kicked out of their rental apartments and removed from their workplaces, especially after completing the mandatory quarantine [22]. When the participants were asked whether they agreed with the statement "People do not want to work in the same room with someone who has contracted COVID-19 and recovered", 60.2% of the participants in the first group and 10.3% in the second group agreed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in Stigma Severity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Esen,

Kaya,

Günay

et al. 2023

Cureus

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Objective The aim of this study was to investigate change in the stigma that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic over time and the factors responsible for the change. Methods Individuals with COVID-19 who presented to Ankara Medicalpark and VM Medicalpark Hospitals' Internal Diseases and Chest Diseases polyclinic between May 2021 and April 2022 were examined. The volunteers were divided into two groups: those who had COVID-19 within the first six months of the pandemic (group 1) and those who had it in the second six months (group 2). The questionnaire assessing stigma consisted of 29 propositions that participants could mark whether they agreed with them or not. Results The median age of the volunteers was 38 years. Eighty-eight (69.3%) had the disease in the first six months of the pandemic and 39 (30.7%) in the second six months. Moreover, 76.1% of the participants in the first group and 94.9% of those in the second group did not agree with the statement "I thought COVID-19 was a punishment for me" (p=0.011). Further, 56.8% of the participants in the first group and 97.4% of those in the second group stated that they did not agree with the statement "Employers may terminate the employment of employees who they find out have contracted COVID-19" (p<0.001). 80.7% of the participants in the first group and 38.5% of those in the second group agreed with the statement "There was social discrimination against people who caught COVID-19" (p<0.001). Conclusions At the beginning of the pandemic, the participants had concerns about losing their status and jobs, but this anxiety decreased over time. Stigma in the first six months of the pandemic was greater than that in the second six months, and discrimination related to stigma decreased with recognition of the disease and the increase in experience.

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Stigma Experience and Mental Health of Vulnerable Groups: Focusing on the COVID-19 Period

Choi,

Paik,

Paik

et al. 2024

J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc

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Causing trouble and being transmissible: COVID-19 survivors’ experiences of stigma and discrimination in South Korea

Cited by 3 publications

References 56 publications

Experiences of male irregular migrants during their migration process and reception in Spain: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

Experiences of male irregular migrants during their migration process and reception in Spain: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

Variability in Stigma Severity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Stigma Experience and Mental Health of Vulnerable Groups: Focusing on the COVID-19 Period

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