COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — More than three-quarters of public health leaders interviewed in a new study said they experienced harassment or threats in the years following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, including threats of physical violence, stalking and intimidation. Researchers interviewed 109 public health leaders from 18 geographically and politically diverse states for the study, which was published in the American Journal of Public Health. Seventy-six percent of those interviewed reported being threatened or harassed — a level researchers characterized as “extraordinary.” Marian Moser Jones, an associate professor of health services management and policy at The Ohio State University College of Public Health and lead author of the study, said the behavior went beyond ordinary disagreements over pandemic policies such as masking or COVID-19 vaccinations. “The backlash we’re studying is different than people disagreeing about wearing masks or getting a COVID vaccine,” Moser Jones said. “This is true hostility. Threats of violence. Undermining these people in ways that harm their ability to do their jobs.” The researchers interviewed state and local public health leaders in urban, suburban and rural communities. The states represented in the study also differed politically, giving researchers a broad range of experiences to examine. Some officials described threats serious enough to involve law enforcement. One participant said the FBI arrested a person who had made repeated credible death threats. The official said that was the first time they became frightened because the person had more than 100 guns in his home. Another public health official described being targeted by what she called a “scary” and “obsessed” male stalker. Among the material he sent was an image depicting someone strangling a child the same age as the official’s own child. Another participant recalled coming home from work to find a note taped to the front door. The note threatened to kill the official’s dog and included a photograph of the animal in the backyard. The study also found that the backlash did not always involve direct threats. About half of the public health leaders interviewed reported what researchers classified as “undermining” behavior that interfered with their ability to perform their jobs. That included flooding offices with data requests, repeatedly demanding changes to pandemic guidance and publicly attacking officials’ qualifications. Moser Jones said the sustained pressure has contributed to people leaving public health. “Politicians expect this kind of thing when they go into the field,” she said. “But before this, most public health officials hadn’t been in the spotlight and they hadn’t been targets. It’s been hard on the profession.” The researchers also found examples of public health officials successfully reducing some of the hostility. In smaller communities, officials often had longstanding relationships with residents and business owners. Those connections sometimes gave officials an opportunity to speak directly with people who were angry about pandemic policies. In some cases, officials brought opponents into conversations rather than communicating only through formal government channels. Moser Jones said some officials confronted threats directly by explaining the personal consequences of the behavior. “They’d say things like, ‘Listen, you’re threatening my kids,’ and it would sometimes turn the temperature down,” she said. The researchers said those efforts did not eliminate hostility, but their interviews suggested that encouraging civil discourse could reduce some backlash and help officials remain in their positions. “Anecdotally, promoting civil discourse seemed to cut down on the backlash,” Moser Jones said. “It didn’t stop it entirely, but it helped prevent officials from being fired or forced out.” Amy Fairchild, a senior author of the study and professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, said officials who successfully navigated conflicts also worked to acknowledge the economic and personal consequences of public health decisions. Some involved local businesses in decision-making discussions. “They understood that they needed to explain not only the science but acknowledge the painful tradeoffs at stake and explain the rationales behind these tough decisions,” Fairchild said. The researchers identified several potential policy responses that could be considered as officials prepare for future public health emergencies. One involves criminalizing doxing — the practice of publicly posting someone’s private or personally identifying information online without permission. Researchers said public health officials sometimes had their home addresses or telephone numbers posted online in ways that encouraged others to participate in organized harassment. Another potential approach would require members of local boards of health to have professional backgrounds related to public health. Researchers said some officials encountered situations in which people with little or no public health experience were making decisions about the field. The researchers also said public health leaders can build relationships with groups holding different political and social viewpoints before the next crisis occurs. Moser Jones said those relationships could be particularly valuable when communities face other issues that bring people together despite disagreements over the pandemic. “Bringing people who have disagreed about the pandemic together around issues that matter to them, such as the ongoing opioid crisis, can be powerful,” she said. The study’s researchers said the experience also points to broader concerns about political polarization and public trust. “Another take-away is there is a lot of work to do to deal with the vicious polarization in this country,” Moser Jones said. She said public health officials may need to do more to explain their role outside of major emergencies, including work involving food safety, maternal and infant health and smoking cessation. The research is continuing, according to the team. The project received funding from the Commonwealth Fund, the Mellon Foundation and the National Science Foundation. Researchers from Ohio State University, New York University and Syracuse University participated in the study. The post Study: 76% of public health leaders faced harassment or threats after COVID-19 appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less