Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is closely associated with physical and mental health problems; however, little is known about the severity of stigma caused by COVID-19 among its survivors. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare differences in stigma experiences of COVID-19 survivors versus healthy controls after the COVID-19 outbreak peak in China. Methods This cross-sectional study comprised 154 COVID-19 survivors and 194 healthy controls recruited through consecutive and convenience sampling methods, respectively. COVID-19 related stigma was measured by the Social Impact Scale (SIS). Stigma differences between the two groups were compared with analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and a generalized linear model (GLM) was used to identify independent correlates of COVID-19-related stigma in this study. Results Compared with healthy controls, COVID-19 survivors reported more overall stigma ( F (1,347) = 60.82, p < 0.001), and stigma in domains of social rejection ( F (1,347) = 56.54, p < 0.001), financial insecurity ( F (1,347) = 19.96, p < 0.001), internalized shame ( F (1,347) = 71.40, p < 0.001) and social isolation ( F (1,347) = 34.73, p < 0.001). Status as a COVID-19 survivor, having family members infected with COVID-19, being married, economic loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and depressive symptoms were positively associated with higher overall stigma levels (all p values < 0.05). Conclusion COVID-19-related stigma is commonly experienced among COVID-19 survivors even though the outbreak has been well-contained in China. Routine assessment of stigma experiences should be conducted on COVID-19 survivors and appropriate psychological assistance, public education, and anti-stigma campaigns and policies should be enforced to reduce stigma within this vulnerable subpopulation.
【저자키워드】 Stigma, COVID-19 survivors, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, Coronavirus disease 2019, mental health, cross-sectional, COVID-19 pandemic, severity, social isolation, China, Survivors, COVID-19 outbreak, outbreak, Impact, Psychological, scale, GLM, Analysis, Generalized linear model, convenience sampling, economic loss, status, healthy control, domain, healthy controls, ANCOVA, routine, rejection, subpopulation, survivor, physical, independent, depressive symptom, Result, was measured, identify, was used, caused, recruited, reported, conducted, reduce, two group, infected with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Sociodemographic,