A Qualitative Study
Open Access DepositedCOVID-19 Related Harassment and Intimidation of Public Health Workers
The tactics described by participants varied, ranging from attempts of physical assault, name calling and threatening language, to online shaming and doxing, with the most frequently cited form of harassment being name-calling and being insulted. At the peak of the pandemic, almost half of respondents experienced this daily or weekly. Impacts
The study ultimately included 15 relevant interviews. Tactics
Harassment and intimidation of public health professionals has increased since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to reports of increased mental health issues, desire to leave the field and feelings of marginalization and fear amongst the workforce. Complicating this increasingly polarized environment is the spread of mis- and disinformation online.Research Aim
Background
When asked what participants thought were potential drivers of the harassment of public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, most participants replied either the role of politics or the challenges of combating misinformation on social media as primary causes. Solutions
This research aims to explore harassment tactics, personal and professional impacts, perceived drivers/causes of harassment, and potential solutions to the harassment of public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods
Most participants described the need for greater awareness that this is a problem facing public health as a field. Additionally, many responses focused on the need to better regulate or manage misinformation on social media, as well as the challenge of addressing the involvement of politics in public health and science. The research indicates that public health professionals see the future of addressing harassment and intimidation as a largely public education and misinformation management response, and less of an emphasis on more near-term, organizational solutions such as coworker support networks and workplace violence reporting systems. Discussion
When discussing the implication of this harassment and intimidation on the public health workforce, it is important to note the role of gendered language and implication of gender-based violence. Additionally, many aspects of the digital environment made harassment and intimidation of public health workers harder to gauge, respond and prevent. Facets of this include the rapid spread of misinformation, the anonymity of digital threats, the unmeasured role of foreign interference in the pandemic response, as well as organized digital campaigns that utilize the web for intimidation and harassment.
The study population was limited to government public health employees at local, state or federal levels. A qualitative research approach was selected to help address some of the current gaps in the body of evidence. The research blended a phenomenological approach, and an applied approach, as well as a feminist approach, prioritizing the role of gender and power dynamics. Results
The most common impact from harassment during the COVID-19 pandemic was a mixture of anxiety, self-doubt, cautiousness and hypervigilance around their work. Public health workers shared that they felt that any health topic could become politicized, or in some cases, already was. Causes/Drivers
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