Occupational stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder among healthcare workers

Healthcare workers (HCWs) could be subject to stigma, particularly in contexts of fear of contagion related to various communicable diseases. While existing literature has established links between workplace stigma and adverse mental health outcomes, this research has largely focused on stigma derived from personal characteristics (e.g., race, gender). However, studies specifically investigating occupational stigma – the stigma resulting directly from the nature of the healthcare profession itself - remain scarce. We investigated the association between perceived occupational stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms one year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyzed data from a cross-sectional online survey conducted in France. PTSD symptoms were measured with the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), and perceived stigma was assessed with a single-item question. Associations were analyzed using inverse probability weighting based on propensity scores, which accounted for a broad range of potential confounders, including socioeconomic factors, work characteristics, and comorbidities. Among 655 respondents, who were mainly physicians, 44.8% reported experiencing occupational stigma and 8.7% met the threshold for PTSD symptoms. After adjustment, perceived occupational stigma was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms (ORa = 2.16; 95% CI 1.09–4.25). Conclusion: Occupational stigma is independently associated with PTSD symptoms among HCWs. These findings underscore the critical need for integrating targeted anti-stigma interventions into mental health strategies for HCWs involving in managing infectious disease or in pandemic context. • In our sample of healthcare workers, 8.9% ( n = 53) exhibited symptoms of PTSD and 44.8% ( n = 278) reported experiencing occupational stigma. • Propensity scores were calculated considering socioeconomic factors, work characteristics, and comorbidities. • Our study is unique in demonstrating that experiencing occupational stigmatization itself is linked to PTSD symptoms among healthcare workers even after accounting for social characteristics (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.09, 4.25).