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. 2020 Oct:75:102289.
doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102289. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Fear and avoidance of healthcare workers: An important, under-recognized form of stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic

Steven Taylor  1 , Caeleigh A Landry  2 , Geoffrey S Rachor  2 , Michelle M Paluszek  2 , Gordon J G Asmundson  2
Affiliations

Fear and avoidance of healthcare workers: An important, under-recognized form of stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic

Steven Taylor et al. J Anxiety Disord. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Background: During past disease outbreaks, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been stigmatized (e.g., shunned, ostracized) by members in their community, for fear that HCWs are sources of infection. There has been no systematic evaluation of HCW stigmatization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Non-HCW adults from the United States and Canada (N = 3551) completed an online survey, including measures of HCW stigmatization, COVID Stress Syndrome, and avoidance.

Results: Over a quarter of respondents believed that HCWs should have severe restrictions placed on their freedoms, such as being kept in isolation from their communities and their families. Over a third of respondents avoided HCWs for fear of infection. Participation in altruistic support of HCWs (i.e., evening clapping and cheering) was unrelated to stigmatizing attitudes. Demographic variables had small or trivial correlations with HCW stigmatization. People who stigmatized HCWs also tended to avoid other people, avoid drug stores and supermarkets, and avoid leaving their homes. Factor analysis suggested that HCW stigmatization is linked to the COVID Stress Syndrome.

Conclusion: Fear and avoidance of HCWs is a widespread, under-recognized problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is associated with the COVID Stress Syndrome and might be reduced by interventions targeting this syndrome.

Keywords: Avoidance; COVID-19; Fear; Healthcare workers; Pandemic; Stigma.

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Conflict of interest statement

This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (#439751) and the University of Regina. Dr. Taylor receives financial support through royalties from various book publishers and from editorial duties as Associate Editor of the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. Dr. Asmundson is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders and Development Editor of Clinical Psychology Review. He receives financial support through payments for his editorial work on the aforementioned journals and royalties from various book publishers. Dr. Peter McEvoy served as action editor on this manuscript submission.

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