Disparities and Factors Associated with Coronavirus Disease-2019-Related Public Stigma: A Cross-Sectional Study in Thailand

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related public stigma is a major challenge, with scarce available evidence. This study aimed to determine the disparities and factors associated with COVID-19-related public stigma in the Thai population. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving a voluntary online survey in Thailand from 21 April 2020 to 4 May 2020. We invited 4004 participants to complete a series of questionnaires, including the validated COVID-19 public stigma scale and questions on relevant COVID-19-related psychosocial issues. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to investigate the factors associated with COVID-19-related public stigma. The prevalence of COVID-19-related public stigma was 24.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.2–26.2) for no/minimal, 35.5% (95% CI, 33.4–37.6) for moderate, and 40.3% (95% CI, 38.2–42.4) for high. We observed disparities in the prevalence of COVID-19-related public stigma according to participant characteristics and psychosocial factors. Using the no/minimal group as a reference group, the six predominant risk factors significantly associated with a moderate and high degree of COVID-19-related public stigma were middle-aged or older adults, male, divorced/widowed/separated, current quarantine status, moderate/severe fear of COVID-19, and medium/high perceived risk of COVID-19. Additional risk factors significantly related to a high degree of COVID-19-related public stigma were religion (Buddhist), region of residence (non-capital city), and exposure to COVID-19-related information. Disparities in COVID-19-related public stigma due to sociodemographic and psychosocial issues are frequent in the Thai population. To reduce public stigmatization, early identification of vulnerable groups and the development of tailored mitigation strategies should be implemented during the pandemic.

Psychological Resilience and Adverse Mental Health Issues in the Thai Population during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

“…The main independent variables were psychological resilience and mental health outcomes of interest, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and well-being, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The Thai versions of the validated measurement tools were used to evaluate mental health and psychosocial outcomes in this study ( Table 1 ) [ 10 , 13 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 ].…”

“…A numerical rating scale of 0–10 points was used to measure the degree of perceived risk of COVID-19 infection. The degree of perceived risk was classified as none/minimal (0–3 points), moderate (4–6 points), and severe (7–10 points) [ 13 , 21 ].…”

Stigma Experienced by Patients Who Recovered from COVID-19 in the Post- Vaccination Period: Prevalence, Severity and Associated Factors

“…Wahyuhadi et al found that 83.55% of the survivors experienced moderate-to-high stigmatization, whereas, only 19.9% reported moderate-to-high levels of stigma in this study, Third, the comparison was made to studies within Thailand. Since no other study has focused on recovered patients, we compared our results with a study conducted by Ruengorn et al [14] which stated that the prevalence of moderate-to-high COVID-19 related public stigma was 75.8%. Accordingly, from these three means of comparison, less severity of stigmatization was observed.…”

“…For example, in Thailand, a mixture of response is observed. Some population reported high stigma, whereas some reported slightly to none [14].…”

Transcultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Thai-Brief Resilient Coping Scale: a cross-sectional study during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Thailand

“…However, according to the DIF analyses, females and individuals with self-reported irreligion had a slightly higher ability to overcome substantial stressors; “item-4, I actively look for ways to replace the losses I encounter in life” compared with males/others and the person's self-identification as religion (Buddhist/Christian/Muslim/Others), respectively. Recently, evidence revealed disparities in COVID-19-related public stigma, especially among males and Buddhists in Thailand 43 . In this circumstance, we hypothesized that some hidden residual traits and characteristics may mediate and contribute to the ability and capacity to coping the negative consequence in both general situations and during the pandemic.…”