August 28, 2020

Fear and Avoidance of Healthcare Workers: An Important, under-Recognized Form of Stigmatization during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Mental Health and Personal Impact

Keywords (Tags): health care workers, mental health personal impact

• An online survey of a random sample of adults from the US and Canada who were not healthcare workers (HCWs) (n=3,551) found that over a quarter of respondents believed that restrictions should placed on HCWs, such as being isolated from their communities and families, and over a third of respondents avoided HCWs for fear of infection. Demographic factors were not associated with HCW stigmatization, while variables related to COVID-19 Stress Syndrome had a stronger association.

Taylor et al. (Aug 19, 2020). Fear and Avoidance of Healthcare Workers: An Important, under-Recognized Form of Stigmatization during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102289