Abstract
Research on stigma and discrimination during COVID-19 has focused on racism and xenophobia in Western countries. In comparison, little research has considered stigma processes, discrimination, and their public health implications in non-Western contexts. This study draws on quantitative survey data (N = 7,942) and qualitative interview data (N = 50) to understand the emergence, experiences, and mental health implications of stigma and discrimination during China’s COVID-19 outbreak. Given China’s history of regionalism, we theorize and use a survey experiment to empirically assess region-based stigma: People who lived in Hubei (the hardest hit province) during the outbreak and those who were socially associated with Hubei were stigmatized. Furthermore, the COVID-19 outbreak created stigma around people labeled as patients by the state. These stigmatized groups reported greater perceived discrimination, which—as a stressor—led to psychological distress. Our interview data illuminated how the stigmatized groups perceived, experienced, and coped with discrimination and stigma.
Highlights
Stigma TheoryStigmatization is a process of devaluing individuals who possess “an attribute that is deeply discrediting” (Goffman 1963:3)
Which dimension of human differences invokes stigma? We argue that precrisis social organizations and long-existing societal fissures shape the forms of stigma and discrimination in a crisis
Building on existing studies of discrimination and mental health, we investigate whether perceptions of discrimination lead to psychological distress during China’s COVID-19 outbreak
Summary
Stigmatization is a process of devaluing individuals who possess “an attribute that is deeply discrediting” (Goffman 1963:3). Because a citizen identity card is needed for checking into hotels, news reports abound that Hubei-origin people were denied access to accommodations regardless of their health conditions (He et al 2020; Mozur 2020) Given these processes, we expect that Hubeiness invoked public stigma and became a basis for discrimination during China’s COVID-19 outbreak. Drawing on in-depth interview data, our last research aim is to identify strategies used by the stigmatized groups to manage stigma, discrimination, and resulting psychological distress during China’s COVID-19 outbreak. This mixed-methods study drew on original data from a national survey and in-depth interviews.
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