A UW CHWS study on COVID-19-related stigma among frontline healthcare workers, led by UW CHWS Affiliate Investigator Janice Sabin, was recently featured in UW Medicine Newsroom.
The research draws on interviews with 19 clinicians across four states (Washington, Illinois, New York and Florida) to explore how stigma emerged and evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants described stigma affecting both patients and healthcare workers, with experiences shifting over time as attitudes toward infection, vaccination, and personal responsibility changed.
Findings, published in a BMC Public Health paper titled “Frontline clinicians’ perceptions of the stigmatization of COVID-19 and suggestions to prevent future health-related stigma: a qualitative study,” identified fear of infection, blame, social and racial biases, burnout, and public messaging as key contributors to stigma. The study also points to strategies for reducing stigma in future public health emergencies, including clearer health communication, greater community cohesion, and approaches that emphasize respect and empathy.
“Our participants told us how important it is to facilitate community cohesion and give people information that can help allay unwarranted fears,” Sabin said. “When people get comfortable with one another and are a cohesive group, they help each other.”
Read the UW Medicine Newsroom article and check out the cited study below:
Exploring Health Workforce Influence on Equitable Care Delivery and Stigmatization toward COVID-19 Positive People of Color and People with Disabilities