Perceived discrimination based on the symptoms of covid-19, mental health, and emotional responses-the international online COVISTRESS survey.

Journal: PloS one

Volume: 18

Issue: 1

Year of Publication: 2023

Affiliated Institutions:  Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LaPSCo, F-, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France. Hong Kong Baptist University, Sport, Physical Education and Health, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. Department of Exercise Physiology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. Faculty of Sciences, Statistics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Institut Supérieur de Gestion de Tunis, Université de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia. Institute of Health Sciences, The Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, Collegium Medicum, Kielce, Poland. Université Clermont Auvergne, Economic Development, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France. ISPA-Instituto Universitário, Ordem dos Psicólogos Portugueses, APPsyCI-Applied Psychology Research Center Capabilities & Inclusion, Lisboa, Portugal. Institute for Clinical Exercise & Health Science, University of the West of Scotland, School of Health and Life Sciences, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Biostatistics, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LaPSCo, Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, WittyFit, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Abstract summary 

Despite the potential detrimental consequences for individuals' health and discrimination from covid-19 symptoms, the outcomes have received little attention. This study examines the relationships between having personally experienced discrimination based on the symptoms of covid-19 (during the first wave of the pandemic), mental health, and emotional responses (anger and sadness). It was predicted that covid-19 discrimination would be positively related to poor mental health and that this relationship would be mediated by the emotions of anger and sadness.The study was conducted using an online questionnaire from January to June 2020 (the Covistress network; including 44 countries). Participants were extracted from the COVISTRESS database (Ntotal = 280) with about a half declaring having been discriminated due to covid-19 symptoms (N = 135). Discriminated participants were compared to non-discriminated participants using ANOVA. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effect of emotional responses and the relationships between perceived discrimination and self-reported mental health.The results indicated that individuals who experienced discrimination based on the symptoms of covid-19 had poorer mental health and experienced more anger and sadness. The relationship between covid-19 personal discrimination and mental health disappeared when the emotions of anger and sadness were statistically controlled for. The indirect effects for both anger and sadness were statistically significant.This study suggests that the covid-19 pandemic may have generated discriminatory behaviors toward those suspected of having symptoms and that this is related to poorer mental health via anger and sadness.

Authors & Co-authors:  Dambrun Michaël M Bonetto Eric E Motak Ladislav L Baker Julien S JS Bagheri Reza R Saadaoui Foued F Rabbouch Hana H Zak Marek M Nasir Hijrah H Mermillod Martial M Gao Yang Y Antunes Samuel S Ugbolue Ukadike Chris UC Pereira Bruno B Bouillon-Minois Jean-Baptiste JB Nugier Armelle A Clinchamps Maëlys M Dutheil Frédéric F

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Riehm K. E., Holingue C., Smail E. J., Kapteyn A., Bennett D., Thrul J., et al.. (2021). Trajectories of mental distress among US adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 55(2), 93–102.
Authors :  19
Identifiers
Doi : e0279180
SSN : 1932-6203
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Humans
Other Terms
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
United States