Mediator roles of resilience and intolerance of uncertainty in the effect of healthcare professionals’ coronavirus stigma on stress

ABSTRACT

This study aims to examine the mediating roles of resilience and intolerance of uncertainty in the effect of healthcare professionals’ coronavirus stigma on perceived stress levels. A questionnaire survey was administered to 327 health workers at a training and research hospital in Ankara, Turkey. In this context, a regression analysis based on the bootstrapping method was performed by running the process macro model. This study determined that the level of coronavirus stigma had an indirect effect on perceived stress mediated by resilience (β =  .0317). According to this finding, the level of coronavirus stigma reduces psychological resilience, and resilience reduces perceived stress. Additionally, intolerance of uncertainty partially mediates the effect of the coronavirus stigma level on perceived stress. Our results show that both resilience and intolerance of uncertainty levels are mediators of the effect of healthcare professionals’ coronavirus stigma levels on perceived stress levels. Necessary precautions should be taken to prevent stigmatization of health workers, which causes many negative consequences, as our study reveals. Otherwise, stigmatization may reduce the general functionality of healthcare professionals as an effective risk factor.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• stigma
• resilience
• intolerance of uncertainty
• perceived stress

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the health workers for their participation in this study and their devoted work during the pandemic.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Nazan Kartal

Nazan KARTAL is a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management at the Hacettepe University. She graduated from Ankara University in 2013. In 2017, she holds a Master’s degree from Hacettepe University. Now, she continiues to pursue her Ph.D education there. Her work focuses on health policy and planning, organizational behavior and health communication.

Gamze Arıkan

Gamze ARIKAN is a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management at the Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. She graduated from Ankara University in 2013. In 2017, she holds a Master’s degree from Gazi University. Now, she continiues to pursue her Ph.D education there. Her work focuses on health marketing and management, health informatics, health policy and planning.

Fırat Seyhan

Fırat SEYHAN is a Lecturer in the Department of Management and Organization, Health Institutions Management Program, University of Health Sciences. He graduated in 2014 from both Turkish Aeronautical Association University and also graduated in 2020 from Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University with master degree. He studies on strategic management, human resources management and health management. He teaches courses on health tourism, marketing in health institutions, health institutions management, medical terminology and strategic management.

Seda Aydan

Seda AYDAN is an assistant professor at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Care Management. She graduated from Department of Health Care Management, Hacettepe University in 2008. She received the Master degree in 2011 and the Doctorate degree in 2017 from Health Care Management Program at Hacettepe University. Her focus areas are health care management, quality in health care, human resources management, and health policy.