DOI: 10.22391/fppc.1820074 ISSN: 2458-8865

COVID-19–related stigmatization and psychological distress among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

Baran Degirmenci, Ayşe Gülsen Ceyhun Peker
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial physical and psychological impacts on healthcare workers in Türkiye, as in the rest of the world. During the pandemic, healthcare workers experienced considerable psychological burden due to an increased risk of infection, fear of transmitting the virus to family members, heavy workloads, and demanding working conditions. In addition, they were frequently perceived as potential sources of infection, leading to social exclusion, discrimination, and stigmatization. These experiences may have contributed to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between COVID-19-related stigmatization and psychological distress among healthcare workers.Methods: This was a single-center, cross-sectional, and prospective study. A total of 300 healthcare workers, including those who had COVID-19 (n = 107) and those who had not (n = 193), were surveyed face-to-face. Participants completed the Health Workers Coronavirus Stigma Scale and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21).Results: COVID-19 infection was associated with higher anxiety levels (p=0.032) and was more common among individuals with chronic diseases (p=0.046). Female participants reported significantly higher anxiety and stress levels than males. Stigmatization was associated with increased anxiety, depression, and stress (all p<0.001), and stigma scores were positively correlated with all DASS-21 subscales (all p<0.001). Higher income was associated with lower psychological symptom scores. In multivariable analyses, COVID-19 infection, female sex, lower income, and higher stigma scores emerged as independent predictors of anxiety. The final model explained 21.9% of the variance in anxiety scores. Conclusion: COVID-19 infection and stigmatization were associated with increased anxiety and psychological burden among healthcare workers. These findings highlight the importance of both psychological support programs and stigma-reduction interventions for healthcare workers during current and future pandemics.

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