2024-02-23 14:06:25
If you are sick, you should stay at home to protect yourself and others. Doctors know this – but often don’t stick to it themselves. Where does this impulse come from?
The stigmatization of infectious diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis or Leprosy is not a new problem. But the question arises as to whether people who suffer from other infectious diseases hide their illnesses in order to avoid negative consequences – and if so, why?
A team from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan looked into this question dedicated. They conducted a total of 10 studies to find out when and why people hide their infectious diseases.
Social and professional obligations
First, the prevalence of concealment of infectious diseases was examined. Study participants were selected from students and health system employees. Universities, hospitals and doctors’ offices generally encourage reporting of infectious diseases, not least because it can reduce the risk of the disease spreading. During the evaluation, however, 72.3% of the study participants stated that they had already hidden their infectious disease at some point. Of these, 85% were students and 61% were health system employees.
When participants were asked why this happened, there were a variety of explanations. Students often stated that the illness was kept secret because of upcoming social events, while health care employees’ commitment to their employer, colleagues, and patients was the priority. E.g. was reported less frequently in both groups. B. lack of payment by the employer during an absence due to illness.
Duration and severity of the illness
In another study, the Michigan team asked what influence the severity of the disease and the risk of transmission have on the concealment of infectious diseases. For this purpose, they recruited 947 healthy participants via an online platform. Participants were assigned to one of nine constructed situations in which they were asked to imagine being sick. The participants were then asked questions regarding this situation. The analysis of the questionnaires showed that the study participants were less likely to conceal the disease the more severe the symptoms and the higher the risk of transmission.
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Whether the duration of the illness and possibly missing weekly events also play a role in concealment was examined in a new study population. The 603 study participants were also enrolled via an online platform and divided into two groups: a group with a short illness of 3 to 5 days and another group with an illness duration of 12 to 14 days. However, there was no difference in the frequency of concealing an infectious disease in the two groups, so the duration of the illness does not seem to play a role in concealment.
As a final consideration, the psychologists asked themselves whether it made a difference whether the study participants were interviewed in a healthy or sick state. For this purpose, they recruited a total of 900 participants in two studies, who were divided into two groups – currently sick or healthy. Analysis of the results of the completed questionnaires showed that those who were currently sick were more likely to hide their infectious disease compared to study participants who only imagined being sick.
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A common phenomenon
Infectious diseases are particularly common in the winter months, when viral infections of the upper respiratory tract are common. This study has shown that concealing illnesses is common and can potentially lead to infecting friends or colleagues. The consequences can be serious, particularly in healthcare. But at least it showed that the frequency of masking the disease decreased when symptoms were more severe and the risk of transmission was higher.
But before we judge those who hide their illness, we should consider that we too may act similarly. What does it look like when we are sick ourselves? After all, the study has shown that the assessment of illnesses and the associated decisions may vary depending on whether we are healthy or sick.
Image source: Kristina Flour, Unsplash
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