Background: Epidemic diseases and their spread pose a significant threat to human health, leading to adverse mental health effects due to the occurrence of severe changes in life, this study aims to explore the experience of stigma among medical staff on The frontline of the fight against COVID-19.
Methods: The present qualitative research was conducted using the hermeneutic phenomenological method, emphasizing Van Manen's method at the Bo Ali Sina therapeutic training center in Qazvin city. The study was conducted from November 2021 to February 2022, the participants were interviewed through purposeful sampling method until data saturation stage was reached.
Findings: The study showed that the participants experienced three types of social stigma, dependent and self-stigma. Initially, 190 codes were extracted, and after reduction, elimination, and mergers, 130 initial codes remained finally, by analyzing the information, 8 classes, 63 sub-classes, and 4 within the topic of "own stigma, social stigma, the stigma of family and compatibility with the stigma It was extracted.
Conclusion: The study’s participants pointed out a reduction in cooperation in the workplace due to less exposure to COVID patients, as well as changes in mood such as fear, stress, anxiety, and anger, and a decrease in self-confidence and feeling of shame, etc., caused by stigma.