Forbes November 25, 2022
In a recent UK-based study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers found that among people with long Covid, the prevalence of them facing stigma on a frequent basis was 95% and 76% for those who always experienced stigma. However, anticipating and internalizing stigma was more commonly reported than enacted stigma or overt experiences of discrimination.
Stigma is an insidious and vicarious process through which certain individuals or entire communities are ostracized and denied completed social acceptance. This could be due to disabilities/health conditions, their physical appearance, skin color, or behavioral patterns.
“Stigma–and the resultant fears of being ostracised or discredited–drives people underground and away from health services and contributes to psychological distress, thus compromising long-term physical health outcomes,” the...