A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
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
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin, Abeldaño Zuñiga Roberto Ariel, 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, El Tantawi Maha
Publisher: BMC
Publication year: 2023
Journal: BMC Public Health
Article number: 1025
Volume: 23
eISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15933-z
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15933-z
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179632788
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.
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