Perceived discrimination in fatigue: a qualitative interview study in the SOMA.SOC project

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Health Psychology
• Social Epidemiology

Background:

• Fatigue is a common symptom with significant health impacts, often exacerbated by COVID-19.
• Individuals experiencing fatigue face stigma and discrimination due to the poorly understood nature of their symptoms.
• Previous research on stigma has overlooked intersectional discrimination, where multiple social identities amplify negative experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate perceived discrimination among individuals with fatigue across various medical conditions and life domains.
• To examine the role of intersectional discrimination in amplifying negative experiences based on social identities.
• To understand the multifaceted nature of discrimination in fatigue experiences.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 19 patients experiencing clinically significant fatigue.
• Included participants with diverse social identities such as gender, migration history, and occupational status.
• Analyzed interview data using a structured qualitative content approach with consensual coding.

Main Results:

• Identified eight key areas of perceived discrimination: communication, emotional reactions, medical treatment, leadership, structural barriers, diagnostic terminology, and scientific controversy.
• Found that discrimination occurred across medical, work, social, public, and structural domains, with significant impact in medical and structural settings.
• Highlighted intersectional discrimination, particularly affecting individuals with stigmatized identities like female gender and low occupational status.

Conclusions:

• Findings underscore the need for further research into fatigue-related discrimination.
• Intervention strategies should focus on increasing resilience and public awareness to mitigate intersectional discrimination.
• Addressing intersectional discrimination is crucial for reducing health inequalities in individuals with fatigue.