Global Perspective and Ways to Combat Stigma Associated with COVID-19

Frances Adiukwu, Drita Gashi Bytyçi, Samer El Hayek, Jairo M. Gonzalez-Diaz, Amine Larnaout, Paolo Grandinetti, Marwa Nofal, Victor Pereira-Sanchez, Ramdas Ransing, Mohammadreza Shalbafan, Joan Soler-Vidal, Zulvia Syarif, Andre Luiz Schuh Teixeira, Mariana Pinto da Costa, Rodrigo Ramalho, Laura Orsolini

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch Articlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Stigma” is a Greek term originally referring to bodily signs such as a burn or a cut to denote a negative/depreciative condition referred to a person (e.g., being a slave, a criminal, a sinner, or a social outcast) and, therefore, to indicate which people should be “avoided.”1 Currently, stigma is not usually related to a purely physical sign but frequently includes the negative discriminatory thoughts, feelings, and behaviors towards people with certain physical, behavioral, or racial features perceived as displeasing or a threat by other members of the society.1
Since its appearance in December 2019, COVID-19 has fueled fear, anxiety, and panic worldwide, due to its novelty, high infectivity, and absence of effective evidence-based treatment.2, 3 Faced with this blurry and uncertain situation, fear and its associated behaviors are not uncommon human reactions. The wide media coverage of the pandemic has contributed to the spread of the fear of contagion and subsequent stigmatizing behaviors.4 Following the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, people around the world easily adopted stigmatizing beliefs and behaviors towards those diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts and also places, people (e.g., healthcare workers [HCW]), and ethnic groups (e.g., Chinese people) believed to be the cause of the pandemic.5, 6
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)569-574
Number of pages6
JournalIndian Journal of Psychological Medicine
Volume42
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Clinical Psychology

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