The association between experience of COVID-19-related discrimination and psychological distress among healthcare workers for six national medical research centers in Japan

Background Discrimination has been identified as an important determinant of negative mental health outcomes. This study determined the association between the experience of COVID-19-related discrimination and psychological distress among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Japan. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted a health survey among 5,703 HCWs of six national medical and research centers in Japan from October 2020 to March 2021. COVID-19-related discrimination was defined either when participants or their family members were badmouthed or when they felt discriminated against in some way. We used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) to assess the presence of severe psychological distress (≥13 points). We used logistic regression models to examine the association between discrimination and psychological distress. We also identified job-related factors associated with discrimination. Results Of the participants, 484 (8.4%) reported COVID-19-related discrimination and 486 (8.5%) had severe psychological distress. HCWs who were female vs. male (odds ratio [OR]=1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.28-1.55), had high vs. low viral exposure (OR=2.31, 95%CI=1.81-2.93), and worked for more than 10 hours/day vs. <8 hours/day (OR=1.42, 95%CI=1.35-1.49) were more likely to have experienced COVID-19-related discrimination. The OR (95%CI) of severe psychological distress was 1.83 (1.29-2.59) among those who experienced discrimination. The analysis was stratified by sociodemographic and job-related factors and the associations trended in the same direction across subgroups. Conclusion Experience of COVID-19-related discrimination was associated with severe psychological distress among HCWs. During the pandemic, effective measures should be taken to prevent the development of negative mental health outcomes in HCWs who experience discrimination.