Reliability and Validity of the Perception of Stigma due to COVID-19 in Physicians

Background Thinking that they are being stigmatized can negatively affect the mental health of healthcare workers, whose workload has already increased during the epidemic. The aim of the study was to develop the ‘Perception of Stigma due to COVID-19 in Physicians' (PSCP) and to conduct a validity and reliability study. Methods A 5-point Likert-type 23-item question pool was created. In order to evaluate the content validity, CGI and CGO were calculated by taking expert opinions and 18 items were selected. It was tested with 303 physicians in Turkey to determine the psychometric properties. In order to evaluate the reliability of the scale, internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) analyzes, item analysis and test-retest reliability analysis were performed. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for construct validity. Results Of the participants 59.1% were female. After analysis, the scale consisted of 10 items and 2 sub-dimensions. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87 for the environmental stigmatization sub-dimension, 0.76 for the perception of personal stigmatization, and 0.88 for the whole scale. Scale items explained 61.56% of the total variance and factor loads varied between 0.66 and 0.85. Scale fit and fit index were found to be acceptable as a result of CFA. Pearson correlation coefficient calculated for test-retest reliability was 0.63, and intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.70 (95% CI 0.38-0.86, p: 0.001). In the final, the total score that can be taken from the scale was between 0-50. The mean total score obtained from the scale was 24.3 ± 7.9. Of the physicians 46.9% scored above the average. It was accepted that as the score obtained from the scale increased, the level of perception of stigma caused by COVID-19 increased in physicians. Conclusions PSCP is a valid and reliable tool for assessing perception of COVID-19-induced stigma in healthcare workers. Key messages The scale developed is a tool that can be used in studies aimed at evaluating the stigma perceptions caused by COVID-19 in physicians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians' level of stigma perception obtained with the PSCP scale was high.