Stigma, problem drug use, and welfare state encounters: changing contours of stigmatization in the era of social investment

Andersen, Ditte; Kessing, Malene Lue

doi:10.1080/16066359.2018.1508568

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 42 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In accordance with socioecological models, stigmatising public attitudes are reinforced by (drug) policy, laws, societal structures, and the media, and may be reproduced through the practices of some institutions and professionals (da Silveira et al, 2018;Gilchrist et al, 2011;Russell et al, 2011;Skinner et al, 2007;Soh et al, 2019;Stangl et al, 2019;van Boekel et al, 2013;von Hippel et al, 2008). This can undermine provision, access, and the quality of drug treatment, and may reinforce discrimination and broader health and social inequity (Andersen & Kessing, 2019;Lancaster et al, 2017;Rivera et al, 2014;Smith et al, 2016). People who use drugs (PWUD), including those in receipt of treatment, report that perceptions and experiences of public and internalised stigma can lead to reduced self-worth and label avoidance, and act as a barrier to treatment seeking and recovery (Biancarelli et al, 2019;Birtel et al, 2017;Chan Carusone et al, 2019;Luoma et al, 2007;Neale et al, 2011;Stringer & Baker, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representation of adverse childhood experiences is associated with lower public stigma towards people who use drugs: an exploratory experimental study

Sumnall

Hamilton

Atkinson

et al. 2020

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundStigmatising attitudes towards people who use drugs are pervasive amongst the public. We investigated whether public stigma was affected by presentation of a history of adversity, and how substance use was described. MethodsA cross-sectional online study using a convenience sample, with a randomised 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Participants read one of eight randomly presented vignettes that described a fictional case history of substance use. In each vignette the gender of the subject (male or female), description of the subject's substance use ('addict' vs substance use disorder), and life history ('tough life' vs description of four adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)) were varied.Participants then completed an adapted version of the attribution questionnaire (AQ-9), which assessed stigmatising beliefs. ResultsData were obtained from 502 participants (53.0% Female; mean age 36.5 ± 13.5 years). There was a significant effect of life history on AQ-9 scores (p = .012), and presentation of ACEs was associated with lower stigmatising attitudes. ConclusionOur findings suggest that describing the life histories of people who have experienced problems with substances may lead to less stigmatising public attitudes. Further research should explore the best ways to utilise this information to develop public-targeted anti-stigma interventions.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representation of adverse childhood experiences is associated with lower public stigma towards people who use drugs: an exploratory experimental study

Sumnall

Hamilton

Atkinson

et al. 2020

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It also assumes that service users can easily evaluate services and make a rational decision about a range of treatment options. However, this overlooks the fact that the service user may be disadvantaged, may not be educated about addiction or may face other challenges which could prevent them from wanting to engage with a service, such as homelessness or access to services (Lancaster et al, 2015;Whiteford et al, 2016;Andersen and Kessing, 2018;Lucas et al, 2018).…”

Section: A Problem Of Product Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematising ‘Recovery’ in Drug Policy within Great Britain: A Comparative Policy Analysis Between England, Wales and Scotland

Klein

Dixon²

2020

Journal of Drug Policy Analysis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Drug strategies in Great Britain emphasize the notion of recovery, with the concept being central in England, Wales and Scotland. There are however tensions, with recovery being defined differently across jurisdictions. In this study we address this dilemma by critically interrogating how the term recovery is represented, how these presentations are shaped and what effects are subsequently had. We applied an adapted version of Bacchi's What's the Problem Represented to Be? (WPR) policy analysis approach to the 2017 UK Drug Strategy, the 2008–2018 Welsh Drug Strategy and the 2008 Scottish Drug Strategy notions of service user responsibility; (b) recovery as ‘a problem of product quality’, shaped by the implicit notion of service provider responsibility and the disease model of addiction; (c) recovery as ‘a problem of service collaboration and teamwork’, underpinned by the bio-psycho-social model of addiction. We conclude that the problematisations found in GB’s current drug policies have the ability to shape the drug policy-making process which may limit mainstream knowledge of recovery, and thereby unintentionally contribute to a narrow understanding of how to effectively support the service user community in their recovery from problematic drug use.

show abstract

“…Public stigma and internalisation of negative attitudes by labelled groups (i.e. self-stigma) is associated with reduced health and social care uptake, poorer quality of care and outcomes, and reduced public support for supportive policies and services (Rivera et al , 2014; Lancaster et al , 2017; Andersen and Kessing, 2019). Negative outcomes can affect others such as family members of out-groups through processes of association (Dyregrov and Selseng, 2021), and this may also be internalised as affiliate stigma (Mak and Cheung, 2008), leading to concealment, isolation and reductions in quality of life (Marshall, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Less than human: dehumanisation of people who use heroin

Sumnall

Atkinson

Gage

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeStigma reduction is an important public health challenge because of the large morbidity and mortality associated with some forms of substance use. Extreme stigma can lead to dehumanisation of target groups, who are ascribed with lesser humanity. The authors examined whether there was blatant and subtle dehumanisation of people who use heroin, and if these were associated with levels of support for non-discriminatory drug policy.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional online study using a UK convenience sample (n = 307 [75.2% female, mean age 28.6 ± 12.2 years]) was conducted. Participants completed assessments of blatant (Ascent of Humans [AoH] scale) and subtle (an emotion attribution task) dehumanisation and a bespoke measure assessing support for non-discriminatory drug policies. Other measures controlled for stigma towards people who use drugs (PWUD) and moral disgust.FindingsThere was greater blatant dehumanisation of people who used heroin compared to the general population and other potentially stigmatised reference groups, including people who use cannabis. The authors also found evidence of subtle dehumanisation, and people who used heroin were rated as being less likely to feel uniquely human emotions, less likely to feel positive emotions and more likely to feel negative emotions. Blatant dehumanisation was associated with significantly lower probability of support for non-discriminatory drug policy.Social implicationsDehumanisation may present significant challenges for stigma reduction initiatives and in fostering public support for drug policy and treatment. Denial of the humanity of this group could be used to justify discriminatory policies or relative deprioritisation of support services in funding decisions. Activities that seek to “rehumanise” PWUD, including social inclusion, and encouraging compassionate media representations that portray the lived experiences of substance use may be useful areas of future work.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate blatant and subtle dehumanisation of people who use heroin, and how this relates to public support for drug policy.

show abstract

Stigma, problem drug use, and welfare state encounters: changing contours of stigmatization in the era of social investment

Cited by 6 publications

References 42 publications

Representation of adverse childhood experiences is associated with lower public stigma towards people who use drugs: an exploratory experimental study

Representation of adverse childhood experiences is associated with lower public stigma towards people who use drugs: an exploratory experimental study

Problematising ‘Recovery’ in Drug Policy within Great Britain: A Comparative Policy Analysis Between England, Wales and Scotland

Less than human: dehumanisation of people who use heroin

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About