Authoritarianism, attitudes toward
harm reduction and the stigmatisation of people who use drugs

Bathje, Geoff J.; Pillersdorf, Daniel; Bois, Steve N. Du

doi:10.5114/ain.2019.87624

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 30 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Beyond substance use treatment programs, only a small percentage of federal, state, or local substance abuse funding is directed towards harm reduction efforts. Public opinions such as stigmatizing beliefs and authoritarian attitudes towards PWUDs sometimes stand in the way of implementing or funding harm reduction, though there is evidence that these beliefs tend to improve as people become more familiar with harm reduction (Bathje, Pillersdorf, & Du Bois, in press). For example, the legality of laypersons possessing naloxone has expanded in recent years.…”

Section: Barriers To Harm Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program

Bathje

Pillersdorf

Kacere³

et al. 2019

Community & Applied Soc Psy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

People who use drugs, and particularly people experiencing addiction, are rarely afforded the opportunity to have their voices heard when it comes to drug treatment or drug policy or even when attempting to define themselves and their life experiences. Of course, there is much more to a person than one area of their behaviour. The current study seeks to capture and understand the lived experiences of people who use drugs, with a focus on their relationships and helping behaviour. We interviewed 32 participants in a harm reduction program seeking to provide understanding beyond stigmatizing and criminalizing drug narratives, by exploring their motivation and context for helping behaviours. Grounded theory methodology was used to understand the patterns of helping behaviour, along with the contexts in which help is or is not given. We particularly focus on participants' distribution of syringes and carrying medicine to reverse overdose (naloxone). Participants shared stories of altruism and mutual aid, along with barriers and disincentives to helping others. We situate these behaviours within contrasting environments of a free harm reduction program and the competitive market system of the U.S. society. Implications for practice and public policy are discussed.

show abstract

Section: Barriers To Harm Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program

Bathje

Pillersdorf

Kacere³

et al. 2019

Community & Applied Soc Psy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Relationship Between Intention and Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Also of interest is that there were no participants who reported use for "recreational" reasons, a stigmatizing term typically referring to use for pleasure or escape (Bathje et al, 2019). The fact that participants all had therapeutic or healing intentions, despite not screening for such participants, suggests that ayahuasca may be seen as less of a recreational substance.…”

Section: Relationship Between Intention and Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Study of Intention and Impact of Ayahuasca Use by Westerners

Bathje

Fenton²,

Pillersdorf

et al. 2021

Journal of Humanistic Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ayahuasca has gained the attention of researchers over the past decade as psychedelic-assisted therapy for MDMA and psilocybin have progressed through FDA approved clinical trials. In spite of the increase in research, there are relatively few clinical studies of ayahuasca and little qualitative research on the therapeutic or healing uses of psychedelics in general. The present study included 41 Western participants who were interviewed about their participation in facilitated group ayahuasca experiences (e.g., in shamanic, neoshamanic, spiritual, and religious settings). Participants were interviewed about their intentions for participating, along with the perceived impact of the experiences. In particular, we focused on impacts that participants perceived to be sustained and enduring. We identified an impressive range of beneficial impacts, including improvements in areas that are often a focus of psychotherapy, such as mental health and substance use, health behaviors, interpersonal relationships, sense of self, attitude. Extratherapeutic effects were also observed in areas such as changes in creativity, somatic sensations, physical health/pain, sense of connection to nature, spirituality, and concern for the greater good. Two participants also reported problematic experiences, apparently related to set and setting. Implications for research and practice, along with a humanistic framework for interpreting these findings is provided.

show abstract

Assessing Determinants of Shifting Attitudes on Drug Policy Reform in Maine

Glover,

Sporer

2023

Journal of Drug Issues

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is growing recognition that our decades-long “war on drugs” has not only been a policy failure but has made our societal drug crisis worse. This is painfully evident in our response to the opioid epidemic. Efforts at comprehensive policy reform are likely to emerge first at the state and local levels. We collaborated with policy advocates and practitioners to study policy perspectives of registered Maine voters, and to investigate determinants of receptivity to drug policy reforms rooted in decriminalization and harm reduction. Our results suggest that while political ideology still impacts one’s perspective on these issues, increased exposure to those with substance use disorder reduces stigma, resulting in increasingly broad, bipartisan support for policy reform. We conclude with a discussion on how policymakers addressing overdose and substance use disorder at the state and local level should consider implementing and funding evidence-based alternative approaches such as decriminalization and harm reduction.

show abstract

Authoritarianism, attitudes toward harm reduction and the stigmatisation of people who use drugs

Abstract: No ghostwriting and guest authorship declared./Nie występują zjawiska ghostwriting i guest authorship.

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program

Helping behaviour among people who use drugs: Altruism and mutual aid in a harm reduction program

A Qualitative Study of Intention and Impact of Ayahuasca Use by Westerners

Assessing Determinants of Shifting Attitudes on Drug Policy Reform in Maine

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About