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Report Shows Persisting Pervasiveness of Stigma Related to Drug Use
More than 70% of Americans surveyed recently by the research firm RIWI Corporation said they believe individuals who use drugs problematically are somewhat, mostly, or entirely responsible for their drug use, and those dependent on drugs have a moderate, low, or no chance at recovery.
The report, which was published in collaboration with Elevyst and PRO-A, also found that 71% of those surveyed believe individuals who use drug problematically are viewed by society as “outcasts or non-community members.”
"Societal substance use and recovery stigma harms all of us,” Elevyst Co-Founder Sean Fogler, MD, a researcher on the report, said in a news release. “This first nationwide report uncovers the perceptions that are a barrier to the development and implementation of effective policies and strategies to end overdose and protect the health and humanity of people who use drugs.”
The research was conducted by using RIWI’s online intercept sampling technology, which presents the opportunity for web users to participate in an online survey anonymously. The methodology is designed to include a demographically diverse and regionally broad audience across the US. The RIWI survey drew 30,000 participants.
Higher rates of stigma related to drug use were observed in:
- Low-middle and upper-middle class compared with the poorest and richest demographics surveyed
- White people vs non-White counterparts
- Women vs men
- Older people vs younger people
- City residents vs suburban or rural residents
In states with statistically significant and comparable survey participation rates, Pennsylvania had the highest rates of stigma of any state; Illinois had the lowest.
“We know that perceived societal stigma is a barrier to help-seeking, equality, and the implementation of policies and support systems that best serve people who use substances and those in recovery,” Rikki Sargent, PhD, social psychologist, research and strategy lead at RIWI, and one of the researchers on the report, said in the release. “Stigma is complex, both in its development and manifestation, and in determining the best way to address it. Studies like this are key to making progress in this space.”
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