Stigma Increases Due To Fear During COVID-19
We don’t understand the pandemic. This can lead to discrimination against:
- People confusing withdrawal from drug use with Covid-19 symptoms
- People who have the virus and their families
- People from countries where the virus originated
- People who have travelled recently
- People who have had contact with someone who has the virus
- Homeless people or those with substance use issues because they are on the street or moving from place to place
Tips For Reducing Stigma During COVID-19
- Use caution with social media and seek credible sources of COVID-19 information (World Health Organization, Thunderbird, Assembly of First Nations) to raise awareness, not fear.
- Support the right to health of people who use drugs, rather than focusing on criminalization of people who use drugs
- Support people and respect their privacy
- Try to focus on the positive
- Demonstrate caring behaviour
Draw From Our Strengths During COVID-19
We must draw from our strengths, cultural ways of knowing, values and practices to help reduce stigma against those who fall ill with COVID-19.
The First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum points to All My Relations as we come together to support one another, and our communities – even if we can’t do that physically, we can do it through virtual means or prayer. (Thunderbird, 2015)