Abstract:

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the experiences of stigma and its relationship with depression and anxiety in those with COVID-19 who recovered in the first year of the pandemic, when the vaccine was not developed yet. The study was carried out in two parts, and it was carried out with the quantitative method using the COVID-19 Stigma Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to 1227 people with first stage COVID-19 disease and a recovery period of at least one month. The second stage was conducted with qualitative interviews with 50 participants in order to reveal the stigma with their life experiences. The results of the analysis of the data obtained showed that the perception of stigma was high among those who had COVID-19 disease. While the highest level of stigma perception was seen among the participants aged 60 and over, it was found that the perception of stigma decreased as the education increased, and the perception of stigma increased as the recovery time increased. In addition, as the level of stigma perception increases, both the depression and anxiety levels of the participants increase. In the qualitative interviews, themes related to the participants' feelings, thoughts and stigmatization perceptions regarding the disease were discussed before they contracted the COVID-19 disease, during the disease process and after recovery. While the most experienced emotions during and after the illness were feelings of fear and anxiety, it was stated that the participants experienced stigma in their immediate social environment after the illness and this shook them.

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