Stigma and Health, Vol 9(2), May 2024, 103-111; doi:10.1037/sah0000354
An increasing number of U.S. news headlines report violence targeting Asian populations and harassment of health care workers, which suggests growing coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related stigmatization of certain groups across the country. Empirical research characterizing the breadth of COVID-19-related stigma in the U.S. is lacking and yet is critically needed to inform interventions that mitigate known negative health impacts of such stigma. Using mixed methods, we explored experiences of COVID-19-related stigma reported in an online U.S.-based survey conducted in April 2020 (N = 1,366). Forty-two respondents (3.1%) reported experiencing COVID-19-related stigma. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed that perceived race and ethnicity was the characteristic most frequently connected to experiencing stigma followed by COVID-19 guideline adherence, suspected or confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, profession or place of employment, and age. Most COVID-19-related stigma connected to race and ethnicity was specific to anti-Asian, specifically anti-Chinese, sentiment. Exploratory quantitative analysis found identifying as Asian (OR = 6.96) and testing positive for COVID-19 (OR = 4.99) were associated with the highest odds of experiencing stigma (all p p