Occupational stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder among healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers (HCWs) could be subject to stigma, particularly in contexts of fear of contagion related to various communicable diseases. While existing literature has established links between workplace stigma and adverse mental health outcomes, this research has largely focused on stigma derived from personal characteristics (e.g., race, gender). However, studies specifically investigating occupational stigma - the stigma resulting directly from the nature of the healthcare profession itself - remain scarce.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between perceived occupational stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms one year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This study analyzed data from a cross-sectional online survey conducted in France. PTSD symptoms were measured with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), and perceived stigma was assessed with a single-item question. Associations were analyzed using inverse probability weighting based on propensity scores, which accounted for a broad range of potential confounders, including socioeconomic factors, work characteristics, and comorbidities.

RESULTS

Among 655 respondents, who were mainly physicians, 44.8% reported experiencing occupational stigma and 8.7% met the threshold for PTSD symptoms. After adjustment, perceived occupational stigma was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms (ORa = 2.16; 95% CI [1.09-4.25]).

CONCLUSION

Occupational stigma is independently associated with PTSD symptoms among HCWs. These findings underscore the critical need for integrating targeted anti-stigma interventions into mental health strategies for HCWs involving in managing infectious disease or in pandemic context.