Fordham GSS faculty, students, and alumni collaborated to publish research to understand how COVID-19 stigma, race, and residency are associated with depression.
The 568-participant study used a series of multiple linear regression to examine the relationship between race/ethnicity, COVID-19 stigma, and depressive symptoms, finding that “irrespective of residency, older age and ever being diagnosed with COVID-19 were negatively associated with depressive symptoms,” and “stigma and thinking less of oneself significantly associates with depressive symptoms across residency.” The research was published in Social Work in Health Care.
Fordham GSS community authors on this study include Assistant Professor Rahbel Rahman, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor Sameena Azhar, Ph.D.; Associate Professor Laura Wernick, Ph.D.; Professor Tina Maschi, Ph.D.; Cassidy Rosenblatt, GSS ’22; and current MSW candidate Rupal Patel. Debbie Huang, Ph.D., also served as an author.
Abstract
Our cross-sectional study seeks to understand how COVID-19 stigma, race/ethnicity [Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, white] and residency [New York City (NYC) resident vs. non-NYC resident] associated with depression. Our sample includes 568 participants: 260 (45.77%) were NYC residents and 308 (54.3%) were non-NYC residents. A series of multiple linear regression were run to examine the relationship between race/ethnicity, COVID-19 stigma, and depressive symptoms. Irrespective of residency, older age and ever being diagnosed with COVID-19 were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Stigma and thinking less of oneself significantly associates with depressive symptoms across residency. Our study expects to benefit mental health care providers and public health professionals in designing best practices to mitigate stigma in ongoing or future pandemics.
