Stigma" A New Challenge in the Clinical Environment during the Outbreak of COVID-19: Experiences of Medical Staff

Epidemic diseases and their spread are considered a great threat to human health, which leads to adverse mental health effects due to the occurrence of severe changes in life, this study aims to explore the experience of stigma among medical staff. The frontline of the fight against Corona was done.

The present qualitative research was conducted using the hermeneutic phenomenological method, emphasizing Van Manen's method in Bo Ali Sina therapeutic training center in Qazvin city. This research lasted from the beginning of November to the beginning of February 1400, the participants were interviewed by purposeful sampling method until the data saturation stage was reached.

The study showed that the participants experienced three types of social stigma, dependent and self-stigma. First, 190 codes were extracted, and after reduction, elimination, and mergers, 130 initial codes remained finally, by analyzing the information, 8 classes, 63 sub-classes, and 4 within the topic of "own stigma, social stigma, the stigma of family and compatibility with the stigma It was extracted.

The participants in the study pointed out the reduction of cooperation in the workplace due to less exposure to patients with COVID, as well as changes in mood such as fear, stress, anxiety, and anger, and a decrease in self-confidence and feeling of shame, etc., caused by stigma.