von dem Knesebeck Olaf, Barbek Rieke
Institute of Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2023 Aug 11;14:1213721. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1213721. eCollection 2023.
Although public stigma imposes a great burden on those affected with manifold negative consequence there is not much known about public stigma related to fatigue. Therefore, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) What is the magnitude of public stigma toward individuals with fatigue? (2) Are there differences in public stigma depending on the social characteristics of the affected person (sex, occupation, and migration)?
Analyses are based on a national telephone survey in Germany ( = 1,209). A vignette describing a person with symptoms of fatigue was presented to the respondents. Vignettes were varied according to sex, occupational status, and migration status. Stigma toward the person presented in the vignette was measured by stereotypes and negative emotional reactions (anger).
Of the stereotypes under study, "hypersensitive" was most frequently endorsed by the respondents (35.7%), followed by "weak will" (27.2%). About 15-20% of the respondents agreed that they react with anger, annoyance or incomprehension. There were considerable differences in fatigue stigma according to the social characteristics of the affected person. In two social groups public stigma was particularly pronounced: (1) male persons with a low occupational status and a migration background; (2) female persons with a high occupational status and without a migration status. In contrast, women with a low occupational status and a migration background were less stigmatized.
Individuals suffering from fatigue symptoms are confronted with stereotypes and negative emotional reactions by the public. Magnitude of public stigma considerably varies according to social characteristics of the afflicted person. Future studies should consider applying an intersectional approach to identify groups that are at risk of multiple stigma.
尽管公众污名给患者带来巨大负担并产生诸多负面后果，但对于与疲劳相关的公众污名却知之甚少。因此，本研究探讨以下研究问题：（1）公众对疲劳患者的污名程度如何？（2）公众污名是否因患者的社会特征（性别、职业和移民身份）而异？
分析基于德国的一项全国性电话调查（n = 1209）。向受访者展示了一个描述有疲劳症状之人的 vignette。vignettes 根据性别、职业状况和移民身份进行了变化。通过刻板印象和负面情绪反应（愤怒）来衡量对 vignette 中所呈现之人的污名。
在所研究的刻板印象中，“过度敏感”最常得到受访者认可（35.7%），其次是“意志薄弱”（27.2%）。约 15 - 20%的受访者表示他们会产生愤怒、恼怒或不理解的反应。根据患者的社会特征，疲劳污名存在显著差异。在两个社会群体中，公众污名尤为明显：（1）职业地位低且有移民背景的男性；（2）职业地位高且无移民身份的女性。相比之下，职业地位低且有移民背景的女性受到的污名较少。
有疲劳症状的个体面临着公众的刻板印象和负面情绪反应。公众污名的程度因患者的社会特征而有很大差异。未来的研究应考虑采用交叉性方法来识别面临多重污名风险的群体。
