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. 2020 Jun 23;17(12):4507.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124507.

Internalized Stigmatization, Social Support, and Individual Mental Health Problems in the Public Health Crisis

Jiannan Li  1 , Wenqi Liang  2 , Bocong Yuan  2 , Guojun Zeng  2
Affiliations

Internalized Stigmatization, Social Support, and Individual Mental Health Problems in the Public Health Crisis

Jiannan Li et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between internalized stigmatization brought on by epicenter travel experiences and mental health problems (including anxiety, depression, and shame) during the period of the novel coronavirus disease emergency in China. The cross-sectional data were collected using the time-lag design to avoid the common method bias as much as possible. Regression results using structural equation modeling show that the internalized stigmatization of epicenter travel experiences may have positive relationships with mental health problems (i.e., anxiety, depression, and shame), and such relationships can be moderated by social support. Specifically, the positive relationships between internalized stigmatization and mental health problems are buffered/strengthened when social support is at a high/low level. The findings of this study suggest that, in this epidemic, people who have epicenter travel experience could be affected by internalized stigmatization, no matter whether they have ever got infected.

Keywords: internalized stigmatization; mental health problems; social support.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The moderating role of social support in the relation between stigmatization of epicenter travel experience and anxiety (A), depression (B) and shame (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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