Stigma and Psychological Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Summary
Stigma arising during infectious disease outbreaks represents a persistent barrier to effective control and recovery, emerging from fear, misinformation and social dynamics that distinguish “us” from “them”. Historical and recent epidemics, from SARS and H1N1 to Ebola and COVID-19, have repeatedly shown that survivors, healthcare workers and marginalised groups face exclusion, discrimination and internalised shame. This social marginalisation compounds psychological distress, manifesting as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and impaired help-seeking behaviour. The intersection of stigma with socioeconomic factors, cultural norms and communication strategies shapes individual and collective responses, influencing adherence to public health measures and access to care. Interventions that build resilience, foster inclusive messaging and deploy validated assessment tools can mitigate these adverse impacts. A coordinated approach, integrating community-led education, policy safeguards and mental health support, is essential to alleviate stigma, promote social cohesion and strengthen global outbreak preparedness.
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Stigma and Psychological Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in stigma and psychological impact of infectious disease outbreaks across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Stigma: A social process that marks individuals or groups as tainted or discredited due to a perceived health threat.
Perceived stigma: An individual’s awareness of negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviours from others.
Social exclusion: The active marginalisation of people through denial of social participation or rights.
Resilience: The capacity to adapt to and recover from adversity or stress.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A psychiatric condition characterised by intrusive memories, hyperarousal and avoidance following traumatic events.
Psychometric assessment: The process of designing and validating instruments to reliably measure psychological constructs.
References
- Mediating role of resilience in the relationship between COVID-19 related stigma and mental health among COVID-19 survivors: a cross-sectional study. Infectious Diseases of Poverty (2023).
- The design and psychometric evaluation of a COVID-19 social stigma questionnaire in nurses. BMC Nursing (2023).
- COVID-19-related stigma and its sociodemographic correlates: a comparative study. Globalization and Health (2021).
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