Stigmatization and psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare Workers in Nigeria: a qualitative study

Ayi Vandi Kwaghe,Vivian Gga Kwaghe,Muhammad Shakir Balogun,Bissalah Ahmed Ekele,Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi,Gga Vandi Kwaghe,Zaiyad Garba Habib,Chukwuma David Umeokonkwo

doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03540-4

Abstract

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a great toll on global health. Frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients have faced some physical and psychological challenges. This study explored the stigma and traumatic experiences of the FHCW during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.MethodsWe recruited twenty FHCW directly involved in the treatment of COVID-19 patients through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted for all participants, and qualitative analysis of data was done using Colaizzi’s phenomenological method.ResultsFive themes identified were: Early stage of the pandemic (fear, anxiety, public fright, other countries repatriating their citizens, the socio-economic impact of the pandemic and a call to duty for the FHCW); working with COVID-19 patients (excitement on patients recovery and duty stress); psychological, mental and emotional trauma; stigmatization (stigmatized by colleagues, family, friends or their residential communities, reasons for stigmatization which were fear of infection, limited knowledge of the virus and working at the isolation centre and the effect of stigma); and recommendations (education and awareness creation, government showing more care towards the FHCW and provision of health insurance for FHCW to take care of those that get infected in the line of duty).ConclusionStigmatization has proven to be a major challenge for FHCW in conducting their duties. The psychological impact experienced by FHCW may affect the quality of the services rendered by these workers. The study reveals the need of education and awareness creation in the ongoing pandemic. There is a need for the government and society to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of FHCW.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great toll on global health
Eighty three million Nigerians accounting for 40% of the population live below the poverty line, 53 million (25%) are vulnerable to poverty and with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of these 53 million vulnerable people are liable to fall into poverty [3]
This study explored the experiences of the Frontline healthcare workers (FHCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a great toll on global health. This study explored the stigma and traumatic experiences of the FHCW during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Nigeria is multi-ethnic with diverse cultures due to the various ethnic groups. Nigeria was not left out of the global economic disruption; the economy of the nation depends mainly on the oil sector which made the nation’s economy vulnerable with the advent of the C0VID-19 pandemic as a result of the massive decline of oil price during the pandemic [3]. Eighty three million Nigerians accounting for 40% of the population live below the poverty line, 53 million (25%) are vulnerable to poverty and with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of these 53 million vulnerable people are liable to fall into poverty [3]. The high inflation and unemployment exacerbate macroeconomic risks, and activity in the tertiary sector will not fully normalize unless the pandemic is contained [3]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion