What is it about?
Opioid agonist treatment improves the quality of life for people with opioid overuse or illicit drug use problems, but the stigma associated with it can worsen social exclusion and disadvantage. This study measured dispensing pharmacists’ implicit and explicit attitudes toward opioid agonist treatment consumers, alongside consumer experiences of stigma and well-being. It found that more negative implicit attitudes and greater experiences of stigma were associated with poorer consumer well-being over time.
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Why is it important?
This study highlights the importance of considering the impact of health practitioner attitudes, and demonstrates a way to quantify these, in efforts towards reducing the effects of stigma for people receiving opioid treatment.
Perspectives
This study utilised a novel study design, measuring peoples' experiences of stigma in their lives and their well-being over time, as well as their pharmacist's attitudes towards people receiving opioid treatment. That a significant relationship was found between these points to the need to understand more about the impacts of stigma, and supports efforts aiming to combat the stigmatising perceptions of people with drug use histories that occur within health service settings.
Theresa Caruana
University of New South Wales
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Quantifying stigma effects: The influence of stigma and pharmacist implicit attitudes on opioid agonist treatment consumer well-being., Stigma and Health, July 2024, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/sah0000556.
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