An ecological model of experienced stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Malaysia

In this paper, we adopted an ecological model and relational cognition framework to decolonize pandemic stigma in a non-WEIRD society. We reconstructed the concept of pandemic stigma in an ex-colonized and multicultural society of Southeast Asia region, by conducting a qualitative study in Malaysia to explore their lived experiences of differential treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic from 2020 to 2022. We interviewed 30 Malaysians aged 18–64 of diverse ethnicities (Malays, Chinese, Indians, and other minorities) through online semi-structured sessions and coded the transcripts through consensus thematic analysis. Results showed that the interviewees’ lived experiences of stigma could be conceptualized as negative interactions with multiple systems: (1) Kinship, (2) Companionship, (3) Organizations, (4) Societal (5) Political, as well as (6) Internal systems. We found that interviewees attributed their experiences of stigma to (1) Individual (self) reasons, (2) Impact of close relationships, (3) Impact of casual social interactions, and (4) Impact of cultural-political context. Our findings could be translated into culturally responsive and context-specific interventions, which addressed systemic injustice that exacerbated the global polarization during the pandemic.