Grants and Contracts Details
Description
ABSTRACT
Substance use (SU)-related stigma – perceived negative stereotypes and judgments about people who use
substances – has been widely recognized as a significant barrier to SUD treatment entry or engagement and
long-term recovery. Currently, few validated measures exist to assess individuals’ experiences of SU-related
stigma, all of which are designed to capture generalized experiences of stigma. However, a growing body of
qualitative research suggests that understanding of SU-related stigma could be further refined to include
dimensions such as 1) patterns of substance use, 2) recovery pathway, and 3) intersectional identities (e.g.,
race, gender identity). Additionally, very little is known about strategies that individuals with a history of SU may
use to mitigate their experiences of SU-related stigma (e.g., avoidance, selective concealment of stigmatizing
statuses, leaning on social supports). The goal of this project is to examine how experiences of substance use-
related stigma and stigma management strategies may differ among individuals from diverse groups. This will
be achieved through semi-structured interviews with 50 individuals recruited from recovery community
organizations in Kentucky. Participants will be purposefully recruited to ensure substantive inclusion of
individuals who represent different patterns of substance use (e.g., stimulants vs. opioids; injection drug use
vs. non-injection routes), recovery pathways (e.g., abstinence vs. non- abstinence; medication-based), and
identities (e.g., minoritized racial/ethnic groups, gender identities). Participants will also be asked to complete
validated quantitative measures of SU-related stigma to compare quantitative findings with qualitative themes
in a convergent mixed methods approach. Data will be analyzed to determine whether individuals who differ
along various dimensions of SU-related stigma (e.g., patterns of use, recovery pathway) experience and/or
manage stigma in unique ways. The proposed project will fill a substantial gap in research by informing
development of a comprehensive multidimensional framework of SU-related stigma.
Status | Not started |
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Effective start/end date | 1/1/25 → 12/31/25 |
Funding
- College on Problems of Drug Dependence: $9,864.00
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