Social Stigma and Depression among Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carriers in Shanghai, China: The Mediating Role of Entrapment and Decadence

Hui Chen, Yingjie Chen, Yinghuan Zhang, Zhiqiang Wang, Dake Shi, Jialin Liu, Xiaodong Yang, Lulu Xu, Yong Cai () and Fan Hu ()
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Hui Chen: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Yingjie Chen: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Yinghuan Zhang: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Zhiqiang Wang: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Dake Shi: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Jialin Liu: Department of Critical Care Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201801, China
Xiaodong Yang: Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Lulu Xu: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Yong Cai: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
Fan Hu: School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-13

Abstract: Introduction: Since the advent of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the coexistence between social stigma and depression symptoms (depression hereafter) in COVID-19 patients has been mentioned, but the mechanisms involved remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how the stigma affects depression during the mid-pandemic period. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using non-probability sampling was conducted among asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers in Shanghai, China (April 2022). An online questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics and psychological traits. Logistic regression and path analysis were performed to analyze the depression risk factors and examine the mediation model, respectively. Results: A total of 1283 participants (59.6% men) were involved in this study, in which 44.7% of carriers reported having depression. Univariate analyses found that education level (OR 0.575; 95% CI 0.448–0.737) and doses of vaccine (OR 1.693; 95% CI 1.042–2.750), were significantly associated with depression among asymptomatic carriers. The association between social stigma and depression was fully mediated by their feelings of entrapment and decadence (indirect effect = 0.204, p < 0.001; direct effect = −0.059, p = 0.058). The mediating role of entrapment between stigma and depression was moderated by age group (estimate = 0.116, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Mental health issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are increasingly apparent in China and require urgent attention and responses. These findings provide new perspectives for the early prevention of depression in asymptomatic carriers.

Keywords: asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers; social stigma; depression; entrapment; decadence; mediating effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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