Stigma Around SUD Remains Pervasive Among Public—and Practitioners

More than three-quarters of Americans surveyed believe that substance use disorder is not a chronic medical illness and more than half said they believe SUD is caused by bad character or lack of moral strength, according to findings from the first publication from a research collaboration between Shatterproof, The Hartford, Ipsos, and researchers from Indiana University.

Developed with more than 50 validated stigma measures, the Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index (SASI) was conceived to assess attitudes about substance use and those who engage in substance use. Nearly 8,000 US residents were surveyed.

>> DOWNLOAD the full Shatterproof Addiction Stigma Index report

The report’s key findings included the following:

• 75.2% of respondents said they don’t believe a person with SUD is experiencing a chronic medical illness.
• 53.2% said SUD is caused by bad character.
• 45% were unwilling to live next to or be close friends with someone who has a substance use disorder, while 48% said they did not want a person in recovery to marry into their family.
• 44.5% of healthcare professionals surveyed expressed the belief that medications for opioid use disorder were substituting one drug addiction for another—a higher rate than the general public (41%).

“It’s clear that negative perceptions of those with a SUD are extensive and deep-rooted—not only among the public, but among employers, healthcare professionals, and even those with a SUD themselves,” researchers wrote in their report. “These perceptions affect and often dictate how policies are created, how healthcare is provided, and how people perceive treatment.

“Most importantly, these beliefs entrench deep feelings of exclusion and shame for individuals with a SUD throughout their lives, regardless of their recovery status—powering a vicious cycle that makes SUD much more difficult to address and fueling negative outcomes.”