Stigma and COVID-19 in Iran: a rapid assessment

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate the perceived stigma among residents of Sanandaj, west of Iran, following COVID-19 pandemic Design/methodology/approach: This is a cross-sectional study conducted from March to April 2020 The sample consisted of 1,000 participants who live in Sanandaj The data collection tool was a self-report electronic questionnaire ANOVA and T-test were used to analyze the data Findings: The mean perceived stigma for COVID-19 was 5 50±2 24 (IQR: 3 75–6 87) out of 10-point scale The highest point was seen for perceived external stigma (6 73±2 49, IQR: 5–8 75) followed by disclosure stigma (4 95±3 92, IQR: 0–10) Interestingly, self-employers were more concerned about disclosing their illness than those with governmental jobs (25±3 93 vs 4 31±4 14, P<0 05), and also had an overall higher stigma score;5 72±2 23 vs 5 19±2 37, P<0 05) Originality/value: COVID-19 stigma is high among Iranians and more common among men, youngsters and self-employers © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited