학술논문
A multi-country study of the associations between HIV vulnerability status, perception of COVID-19 related stigma and post-traumatic stress symptoms during the first wave of the pandemic.
Document Type
Article
Author
Folayan, Morenike Oluwatoyin; Zuñiga, Roberto Ariel Abeldaño; Virtanen, Jorma I.; Ellakany, Passent; Al-Tammemi, Ala'a B.; Quadri, Mir Faeq Ali; Jafer, Mohammed; Ara, Eshrat; Ayanore, Martin Amogre; Gaffar, Balgis; Aly, Nourhan M.; Idigbe, Ifeoma; Lusher, Joanne; Ezechi, Oliver C.; Nguyen, Annie L; Tantawi, Maha El
Source
Subject
*POST-traumatic stress
*COVID-19 pandemic
*HIV status
*COVID-19
*SOCIAL stigma
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Language
ISSN
1471-2458
Abstract
Background: This study investigated the associations between COVID-19 related stigma and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS); and the associations between PTSS and COVID-19 related stigma, HIV status, COVID-19 status and key HIV population status. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of data of 12,355 study participants generated through an online survey that recruited adults from 152 countries between July and December 2020. The dependent variables were COVID-19-related stigma and PTSS. The independent variables were HIV status (positive/negative), transaction sex (yes/no), use of psychoactive drugs (yes/no), and vulnerability status (transaction sex workers, people who use psychoactive drugs, living with HIV, and COVID-19 status). The confounding variables were age, sex at birth (male/female), level of education, sexual minority individuals (yes/no) and country income level. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders. Results: There were 835 (6.8%) participants who experienced COVID-19 related stigma during the pandemic and 3,824 (31.0%) participants reported PTSS. Respondents who were living with HIV (AOR: 1.979; 95%CI: 1.522–2.573), tested positive for COVID-19 (AOR: 3.369; 95%CI: 2.692–4.217), engaged in transactional sex (AOR: 1.428; 95%CI: 1.060–1.922) and used psychoactive drugs (AOR: 1.364; 95%CI: 1.053–1.767) had significantly higher odds of experiencing COVID-19 related stigma. Individuals with vulnerability status (AOR:4.610; 95%CI: 1.590-13.368) and who experienced COVID-19 related stigma (AOR: 2.218; 95%CI: 1.920–2.561) had significantly higher odds of PTSS. Conclusion: Individuals with vulnerability status may be at increased risk for COVID-19 related stigma. Key and vulnerable populations who were living with HIV and who experienced stigma may be at a higher risk of experiencing PTSS. Populations at risk for PTSS should be routinely screened and provided adequate support when they contract COVID-19 to reduce the risk for poor mental health during COVID-19 outbreaks and during future health crisis with similar magnitude as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]