Why investigating stigmatisation during the coronavirus pandemic?
From the very beginning, the coronavirus pandemic was accompanied by unresolved issues, diverging opinions - even among experts (e.g., Kunz, 2021) - and the dissemination of misinformation (Rocha et al., 2021). People's fears were fuelled by the uncertainties associated with the novel virus (Millroth & Frey, 2021). One resulting phenomenon was prejudice, marginalisation and discrimination against people and groups considered responsible for the spread of the coronavirus. People working in the healthcare sector (Faller et al., 2022) or with an Asian background (Li et al., 2021), for instance, were considered as potential spreaders of the virus. While their marginalisation can be a form of self-protection (Deacon, 2006) it has a significant impact on those affected, both in terms of their physical and mental health (Ransing et al., 2020). At the same time, there may be effects that, in the worst case, even favour the spread of a pandemic (Ransing et al., 2020). Stigmatisation is a complex and serious phenomenon that is highly relevant to consider in the context of the pandemic spread of a virus.
Literature
Deacon, H. (2006). Towards a sustainable theory of health-related stigma: lessons from the HIV/AIDS literature. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16(6), 418-425. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.900 
Faller, G., Zeiser, M., Geiger, L., Schieron, M., Skarabis, N., Scheuvens, L., Schubert, M., Melzer, M., Wegewitz, U., Seidler, A. & Girbig, M. (2022). Stigmatisierungserfahrungen bei beruflich Pflegenden im Kontext von Covid-19 – eine Qualitative Studie. Gesundheitswesen, 84(04), 310–318. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1773-0786
Kunz, P. (2021, 18. Januar). Das Experten-Streit-Virus. Wissenschaftler-Disput: Das Experten-Streit-Virus – ZDFheute. https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/corona-wissenschaft-experten-streit-100.html
Li, T., Bu, H., & Duan, W. (2021). A brief measure of perceived courtesy and affiliate stigma on COVID-19: A study with a sample from China. Personality and Individual Differences, 180, 110993. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110993
Millroth, P. & Frey, R. (2021). Fear and anxiety in the face of COVID-19: Negative dispositions towards risk and uncertainty as vulnerability factors. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 83 102454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102454
Ransing, R., Ramalho, R., de Filippis, R., Ojeahere, M. I., Karaliuniene, R., Orsolini, L., . . . Bytyçi, D. G. (2020). Infectious disease outbreak related stigma and discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic: drivers, facilitators, manifestations, and outcomes across the world. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Rocha, Y. M., De Moura, G. A., Desidério, G. R., De Oliveira, C. A. F., Lourenço, F. & De Figueiredo Nicolete, L. D. (2021). The impact of fake news on social media and its influence on health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Journal Of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-021-01658-z
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