Public perceptions of psychiatric, justice-involved, and elderly populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a significant global impact, with all countries facing the challenge of mitigating its spread. An unprecedented shortage of medical resources has raised concerns regarding allocation and prioritization of supplies, which may exacerbate social discrepancies for already vulnerable populations. As public opinion can impact healthcare policies, we aimed to characterize perceptions of psychiatric, forensic psychiatry, correctional, and elderly populations regarding COVID-19-related issues. This web-based study recruited participants (n = 583) from the general population in North America. The survey included perceptions of the pandemic, hypothetical scenarios on resource prioritization, and Likert scale questions. The majority of participants were cisgender female (72.7%), aged 31-74 years (80.0%), married (48.0%), retired (52.7%), resided in Canada (73.9%), had a college/university degree (50.9%) and had never worked in healthcare (66.21%). Most respondents reported not having a criminal history (95.88%), or a psychiatric disorder (78.73%). Perceptions of vulnerable populations were significantly different for resource allocation and prioritization (e.g., ventilator and vaccine resources, all p < 0.001). Healthcare workers and the elderly were commonly ranked the highest priority for resources, while forensic psychiatry and correctional populations were given the lowest priority. A high rate of disagreement was found for the more stigmatizing questions in the survey (all p < 0.0001). Our results suggest that perception from members of the general public in North America is aligned with current practices for resource allocation. However, individuals that already face social and health disparities may face additional opposition in decision-making for COVID-19 resources.

Stigmatization of psychiatric and justice-involved populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychiatric and justice-involved populations are known to be stigmatized and particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes during COVID-19. The increased attention toward vulnerable populations from healthcare authorities, the media, and the general public has made it critical to uncover any developing stigmatization toward these groups and the possible consequences. The prioritization of public safety and shift in the prioritization of resource allocation and service delivery could lead to a rise in negative perceptions toward these already stigmatized groups. Thus, it is imperative to consider how the unique characteristics of vulnerable groups may impact their physical and mental health as well as their care during this pandemic. In this paper, we describe the challenges that psychiatric, correctional, and forensic psychiatry populations have faced during COVID-19 and how a rise in stigmatization could lead to adverse outcomes. Specifically, we outline the influence of the media on public perceptions and how stigmatization may be reflected in the allocation of resources, policies, and related decision-making during COVID-19.