Association of stigma with mental health and quality of life among Indonesian COVID-19 survivors

by Joni Wahyuhadi, Ferry Efendi, Makhyan Jibril Al Farabi, Iman Harymawan, Atika Dian Ariana, Hidayat Arifin, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani, Inbar Levkovich

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors face societal stigma. The study aims to analyze the association of this stigma with the mental health and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors.

In this cross-sectional study, we observed 547 adults who were previously documented as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) positive by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, treated in a hospital or an emergency hospital and proven to be SARS-CoV-2 negative by their latest PCR test. We adopted the Berger HIV Stigma Scale to measure stigma; the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Form to measure quality of life; and the Mental Health Inventory-38 to measure mental health. The chi-square and binary logistic regression tests were used to find the correlation between the variables.

The multivariate analysis revealed that medium stigma was more likely related to quality of life and mental health than low stigma. Females were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than men, and respondents who worked as laborers and entrepreneurs were less likely to experience stigma related to mental health than those who worked as civil workers/army personnel/teachers/lecturers. COVID-19 survivors experienced medium stigma in society and lower quality of life and mental health status. We found that quality of life and mental health were affected by stigma, sex, and occupation.

COVID-19 survivors are a vulnerable group that is most at risk when they return to their communities. Creating a safe environment and providing respectful care, including addressing complex stigma factors, is vital for developing appropriate interventions.