- 期刊
- OpenAccess
THE DISCRIMINATION AND STIGMATIZATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH COVID-19 DISEASE IN MONGOLIA
摘要
Introduction: Exclusions, restrictions, and denials of civil rights due to one's illness are called disease-based discrimination. During the global pandemic, people infected with COVID-19 infections experienced many forms of social discrimination. Aim: To define the discrimination and social stigmatization against people infected with the COVID-19 virus. Materials and methods: The study was designed to use descriptive and cross-sectional online questionnaires for qualitative content analysis methodology. Applied the standard international methods to assess the participants' mental state (PHQ-9, GAD-7, EPI, and the Stigma Scale), and the Cronbach coefficient calculated the reliability of the answers. Results: 339 people aged 18 to 85 participated in the study, and the gender ratio was 3:1 (women N=225; 66.37%; men N=114; 33.63%). The average age of participants was 38.7±.13.3, and of those, 19.9%-29.7% were 21-50 aged participants; there was no significant difference in gender. Females (66.4%), and 25-44 aged (58.3%), with higher education & married (66.4%), living in an apartment (74%; p=0.022), and young people with any underlying somatic illness suffered from COVID-19 disease. All participants experienced some discriminative actions due to COVID-19 infections. Male participants showed moderate to high levels of self-discrimination (Chi square=20.7), and female participants showed moderate to high levels of social Discrimination (Chi square=11.8) with a statistically significant difference (p≤0.003). Of the total participants, 37.2% (n=126) had mild, 15.6% (n=53) had moderate, and 7.9% (n=27) had a severe level of anxiety. But 37.5% (n=127) had mild, 20% (n=67) had moderate, 9% (n=31) had high, and 4% (n=13) had a severe level of depression. It has been found that the rate of self-stigmatized patients from COVID-19 significantly increased by 1.9- fold (p<0.001) due to affected anxiety and depression related to being discriminated against socially. The majority of 68 qualitative study participants (n=45; 67%) were discriminated against by the medical professionals while visiting medical institutions, especially family (n=22; 32%) and district clinics. They experienced discrimination for coughing or clearing their throats in shops or on public transportation. Conclusion: 98% of the participants confirmed social- and self-stigmatization experiences. The rate of self-stigma of patients infected by COVID-19 significantly increased by 1.9-fold (p<0.001) due to anxiety and depression resulting from social discrimination.