Experiences of Stigma in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

An increasing number of U.S. news headlines report violence targeting Asian populations and harassment of health care workers, which suggests growing coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related stigmatization of certain groups across the country. Empirical research characterizing the breadth of COVID-19-related stigma in the U.S. is lacking and yet is critically needed to inform interventions that mitigate known negative health impacts of such stigma. Using mixed methods, we explored experiences of COVID-19-related stigma reported in an online U.S.-based survey conducted in April 2020 (N = 1,366). Forty-two respondents (3.1%) reported experiencing COVID-19-related stigma. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed that perceived race and ethnicity was the characteristic most frequently connected to experiencing stigma followed by COVID-19 guideline adherence, suspected or confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, profession or place of employment, and age. Most COVID-19-related stigma connected to race and ethnicity was specific to anti-Asian, specifically anti-Chinese, sentiment. Exploratory quantitative analysis found identifying as Asian (OR = 6.96) and testing positive for COVID-19 (OR = 4.99) were associated with the highest odds of experiencing stigma (all p < .001). Employment as a health care worker and/or first responder, working with COVID-19 patients, being at high-risk of serious illness, or having COVID-19 symptoms (OR range = 2.50-2.94, all p < .01) were also associated with greater odds of experiencing stigma. Together, our quantitative and qualitative results suggest that Asian populations in the U.S. may be disproportionately affected by COVID-19-related stigma. Our findings also suggest associations between experiences of stigma and COVID-19-related health factors and vulnerability. This study may help inform future research that demonstrates the extent of COVID-19-related stigma and interventions to combat adverse effects.