Background

There is a lack of understanding of what contributes to attitudes toward individuals with an opioid addiction and preferences for policies that support them.

Methods

This study aimed to investigate stigmatization of an opioid addiction and support for publicly funded drug treatment. A randomized, between-subjects case vignette study (N = 1998) was conducted with a nation-wide online survey. To assess public perceptions of stigma and support for publicly funded drug treatment, participants rated a hypothetical individual who became addicted to prescription opioids across three conditions: 1) male or female, 2) an individual who was prescribed prescription painkillers or took prescription painkillers from a friend and 3) an individual who transitioned to using heroin or who continued using prescription painkillers.

Results

Our results showed that there were stronger negative attitudes towards a male (p < .01) and toward an individual who took prescription painkillers from a friend (all p’s < .05), and both stronger positive and negative attitudes toward an individual who transitioned to heroin from prescription painkillers (all p’s < .05). Next, we demonstrated that the probability that someone supports publicly funded drug treatment increases by 3.6 percentage points for each unit increase along a 12-point scale of positive attitudes (p < .0005), 1.3 percentage points for each unit decrease along a 12-point scale of negative attitudes (p < .005), 7.3 percentage points for each unit increase along a 6-point scale of perceived treatment efficacy (p < .0001), 0.1 percentage points for each unit decrease along a 100-point scale that measures the strength of one’s belief that addiction is controllable (p < .005) and 0.2 percentage points for each unit decrease along a 100-point scale that measures the strength of one’s belief that income is controllable (p < .005). Lastly, when controlling for the effects of stigma, the probability of supporting publicly funded drug treatment decreases by 6.3 percentage points (p < 0.001) when an individual was prescribed prescription painkillers from a doctor. However, path analysis identified a channel through which a doctor’s prescription increased support for publicly funded drug treatment by influencing positive attitudes, negative attitudes, and responsibility.

Conclusion

Our findings provide further evidence that information about individuals who become addicted to opioids can influence stigma perceptions and support for publicly funded drug treatment.

中文翻译：

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对从处方阿片类药物过渡到海洛因的个人的污名和政策偏好

背景

人们对是什么导致对阿片类药物成瘾者的态度以及对支持他们的政策的偏好缺乏了解。

方法

本研究旨在调查对阿片类药物成瘾的污名化以及对公共资助药物治疗的支持。一项随机的、受试者之间的案例研究（N  = 1998）是在全国范围的在线调查中进行的。为了评估公众对污名化的看法和对公共资助药物治疗的支持，参与者在三个条件下对一个对处方阿片类药物上瘾的假设个体进行评分：1) 男性或女性，2) 服用处方止痛药或服用处方止痛药的个体朋友和 3) 过渡到使用海洛因或继续使用处方止痛药的人。

结果

我们的研究结果表明，对男性 ( p  < .01) 和从朋友那里服用处方止痛药的人 (所有p < .05) 的消极态度更强，而对服用止痛药的人的积极和消极态度都更强。从处方止痛药转变为海洛因（所有p < .05）。接下来，我们证明了某人支持公共资助的药物治疗的概率随着积极态度的 12 点量表每增加一个单位增加 3.6 个百分点（p  < .0005），沿着 12-点的量表每减少一个单位增加 1.3 个百分点。消极态度点量表 ( p < .005)，每单位增加 7.3 个百分点，以 6 分制感知治疗效果 ( p  < .0001)，每单位减少 0.1 个百分点，以 100 分制衡量一个人的信念强度成瘾是可控的 ( p  < .005)，每单位下降 0.2 个百分点，以 100 分制衡量一个人对收入可控的信念的强度 ( p  < .005)。最后，在控制污名效应的情况下，支持公共资助药物治疗的概率下降了 6.3 个百分点（p < 0.001) 当一个人从医生那里得到处方止痛药时。然而，路径分析确定了一个渠道，通过该渠道，医生的处方通过影响积极态度、消极态度和责任感来增加对公共资助药物治疗的支持。

结论

我们的研究结果提供了进一步的证据，表明有关阿片类药物成瘾者的信息会影响耻辱感和对公共资助药物治疗的支持。