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Broady TR, Valerio H, Alavi M, Wheeler A, Silk D, Martinello M, Conway A, Milat A, Dunlop A, Murray C, Henderson C, Amin J, Read P, Marks P, Degenhardt L, Stevens A, Prain B, Hayllar J, Reid D, Montebello M, Wade A, Christmass M, Cock V, Dore GJ, Treloar C, Grebely J. Factors associated with experiencing stigma, discrimination, and negative health care treatment among people who inject drugs. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 128:104468. [PMID: 38795465 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Stigma has negative consequences for the health of people who inject drugs and people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV). This study evaluated factors associated with stigma related to injecting drug use (IDU) or HCV and those associated with being treated negatively by health workers. METHODS ETHOS Engage is an observational cohort study of people who inject drugs attending drug treatment clinics and needle and syringe programs in Australia. Participants completed a questionnaire including IDU- and HCV-related stigma, and negative treatment by health workers. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with experiencing stigma and negative treatment in a cross-sectional sample. RESULTS Of 1,211 participants, 31% were women, 64% had injected drugs in the previous month, and 65% had been diagnosed with HCV. IDU-related stigma was reported by 57% of participants and was associated with being a woman, higher than Year 10 education, homelessness, opioid agonist treatment, recent injecting, overdose history, hospitalisation for drug use, and unknown HCV status. HCV-related stigma was reported by 34% of participants diagnosed with HCV and was associated with being a woman, homelessness, receptive needle/syringe sharing, arrest for drug use/possession, and recent HCV testing. Negative treatment from health workers was reported by 45% of participants and was associated with being a woman, receptive needle/syringe sharing, hospitalisation for drug use, and arrest for drug use/possession. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Results highlight important intersections and disparities in stigmatising experiences among people who inject drugs. Considering these intersections can assist health services provide more inclusive care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Broady
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Heather Valerio
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Maryam Alavi
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alice Wheeler
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Silk
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Anna Conway
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Andrew Milat
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Adrian Dunlop
- Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carolyn Murray
- Population Health Strategy & Performance, NSW Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Janaki Amin
- Department of Health Systems and Populations, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Phillip Read
- Kirketon Road Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Annabelle Stevens
- Centre for Population Health, NSW Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bianca Prain
- Centre for Population Health, NSW Health, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David Reid
- Drug and Alcohol Service, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mark Montebello
- North Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alexandra Wade
- Mid North Coast Local Health District, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Christmass
- Next Step Drug and Alcohol Service, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Victoria Cock
- Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Gregory J Dore
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jason Grebely
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Friedmann Z, Kinkel HT, Kühner C, Zsolnai A, Binder A, Mick I. Shaping and shifting schemas on supervised injectable opioid treatment: findings from a cross-sectional qualitative study in two German treatment facilities. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2024; 19:45. [PMID: 38802962 PMCID: PMC11129426 DOI: 10.1186/s13722-024-00475-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Supervised injectable opioid treatment (SIOT) is a promising alternative for people living with opioid use disorder (OUD) who have not sufficiently benefitted from oral opioid substitution treatment. Yet, SIOT utilization remains limited in Germany. We propose that this is due to beliefs, or schemas, on SIOT among people living with OUD. Drawing from medical sociology and social psychology, this study explores the emergence and evolution of such schemas on SIOT. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 individuals currently in or eligible for SIOT in two German outpatient treatment facilities and paralleled an inductive qualitative content analysis with the exploration of individual cases. RESULTS The analysis revealed that peer-to-peer interaction and individuals' practical experiences in therapy are crucial in constructing and changing idiosyncratic and shared schemas of SIOT. When facing ambiguous information, cognitive strategies like subtyping served to mitigate uncertainty. CONCLUSION This research has important practical implications for integrating experiential knowledge into clinical care and improve information sharing among people living with OUD. A nuanced understanding of the complex network of informal advice-seeking and -giving among people living with OUD is indispensable to adequately expand treatment modalities of proven effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Friedmann
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Medical University Hospital Charité Berlin), Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Hans-Tilmann Kinkel
- Praxiskombinat Neubau, Schwerpunktpraxis für Suchtmedizin (outpatient clinic for addiction medicine), Ruschestraße 103, 10365, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Kühner
- Schwerpunktpraxis für Suchtmedizin Stuttgart (outpatient clinic for addiction medicine), Kriegsbergstraße 40, 70174, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Andreas Zsolnai
- Schwerpunktpraxis für Suchtmedizin Stuttgart (outpatient clinic for addiction medicine), Kriegsbergstraße 40, 70174, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Annette Binder
- Universitätsklinikum Tuebingen, Sektion Suchtmedizin und Suchtforschung (addiction medicine and addiction research department, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, University of Tuebingen), Calwerstraße 14, 72076, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Inge Mick
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Medical University Hospital Charité Berlin), Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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Page S, Fedorowicz S, McCormack F, Whitehead S. Women, Addictions, Mental Health, Dishonesty, and Crime Stigma: Solutions to Reduce the Social Harms of Stigma. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:63. [PMID: 38248528 PMCID: PMC10815751 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21010063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
British drug policies could underserve women with treatment needs, and this paper provides evidence that communication through the words and actions of professionals across drug and alcohol services, health and mental health, social work and the criminal justice sector can leave women feeling stigmatised and failed. Women live with the stigma of 'the lying addict'; however, documents and courtroom statements provided by professionals can misrepresent women's experiences, which exacerbates social harm. Data are drawn from feminist participatory action research, where female lived experience experts worked alongside academics to implement a qualitative study using interviews and focus groups with women using treatment services (n = 28) and an online world café with professionals working with these women (n = 9) and further professionals providing support at lived experience data collection events (n = 5). This data set is cross-referenced with one-to-one and small-group interviews with professionals in the field (n = 17) conducted by a third-sector partner. Findings establish that stigma negatively impacts the identification of treatment needs and access to timely and appropriate service delivery. Social harms to women with addictions could be significantly reduced with timely, authentic, honest, gender-informed and trauma-informed practices for girls and women using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate from traumatic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Page
- Centre for Crime, Justice and Security, Staffordshire University, LW126 Ashley 2 Building, College Rd., Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DE, UK
| | - Sophia Fedorowicz
- Expert Citizens CIC, Federation House Station Road, Stoke on Trent ST4 2SA, UK;
| | - Fiona McCormack
- Centre for Health and Development, Staffordshire University, LW126 Ashley 2 Building, College Rd., Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DE, UK;
| | - Stephen Whitehead
- Independent Researcher, Centre for Justice Innovation, 102, Edinburgh House, 170 Kennington Ln, London SE11 5DP, UK;
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McGrath J, Lhussier M, Crossley S, Forster N. "They Tarred Me with the Same Brush": Navigating Stigma in the Context of Child Removal. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:6162. [PMID: 37372749 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20126162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Child removals are increasing in England and Wales. Family court involvement is particularly common among women with multiple disadvantages, and the rates are higher in economically marginalised areas. This article aims to explore women's narratives of child removal within life stories of homelessness and examines how stigma, power and State surveillance manifest in their experiences. Data drawn from qualitative interviews with 14 mothers in the north-east of England who had experienced the removal of their children through the family courts are explored within the wider context of a neoliberal political agenda of "troubled families", and in particular, "deviant mothers". The participants describe how stigma structured their interactions with social services. Despite the known poor outcomes associated with child removal for both mothers and children, professional involvement often tapers off afterwards, with little support for mothers. Drawing on women's accounts, we seek to illuminate their experiences of child removal and enhance our understanding of how stigma plays out in statutory settings, further entrenching social exclusion and ultimately increasing health inequalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne McGrath
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Monique Lhussier
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | | | - Natalie Forster
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
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Rizzo D, Mu T, Cotroneo S, Arunogiri S. Barriers to Accessing Addiction Treatment for Women at Risk of Homelessness. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:795532. [PMID: 35252964 PMCID: PMC8893170 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.795532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Women remain under-represented in addiction treatment, comprising less than a third of clients in treatment services. Shame, stigma, and fear of legal and social repercussions (e.g., child protection involvement) are major barriers impacting on treatment-seeking for women. This is compounded for women at risk of homelessness, with practical and logistical reasons for not engaging in treatment. We conducted a qualitative study with both clinicians and service-providers, and women with lived experience of addiction and at risk of homelessness, to identify barriers to access and help-seeking within this vulnerable population. Adult women with lived experience of homelessness and addiction were invited to participate in an online focus group. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using framework analysis. Analysis resulted in the identification of barriers to access in three areas. These were system-related, socio-cultural, and emotional barriers. We also present findings from the focus group recorded in real-time, using the novel method of digital illustration. This study highlights key factors impacting on help-seeking and access to treatment for addiction faced by women at risk of homelessness. The findings of this study highlight important areas of consideration for clinicians and service-providers working with women who experience addiction, as well as informing future research directions for this priority population. Findings are discussed in the context of exigent literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davinia Rizzo
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Richmond, VIC, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Davinia Rizzo
| | - Temika Mu
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Shalini Arunogiri
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Richmond, VIC, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, VIC, Australia
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Schamp J, Vanderplasschen W, Meulewaeter F. Treatment providers' perspectives on a gender-responsive approach in alcohol and drug treatment for women in Belgium. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:941384. [PMID: 36111302 PMCID: PMC9468262 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.941384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gender inequity is a pervasive challenge to health equity on a global scale, and research shows the impact of sex and gender on substance use regarding for example epidemiology, treatment needs, treatment admission and treatment outcomes. The gender-transformative approach to action and health indicates that health interventions may maintain, exacerbate or reduce gender-related health inequalities, depending on the degree and quality of gender-responsiveness within the programme or policy. However, research shows a lack of gender-responsive initiatives in the alcohol and drug addiction field. AIMS The purpose of this study is to explore in depth how alcohol and drug treatment can be made more sensitive to female users' treatment needs from the perspective of service providers. Consequently, study findings can inform the development of gender-responsive treatment options and aid to a deeper understanding of how these trends are designated on the continuum of approaches to action and health in the alcohol and drug field. METHODS Four focus groups were organized across different regions in Belgium with a total of 43 participants, including service providers, policy makers and women who use(d) drugs. RESULTS The perspective of the participants on substance use prevention and treatment for female users incorporates some crucial gender-specific and gender-transformative features. Next to implementing mother-child options, a holistic approach, experts by experience and empowering women in treatment, professionals report the relevance of awareness raising campaigns targeting all levels and sectors in society. Also, recurring attention was given to the role of men in the narratives of female users. CONCLUSION Study findings show that the field of alcohol and drug prevention and treatment is being looked at through the lens of gender-responsiveness. However, to achieve improvement in the lives of both women and men, and hence creating more equal chances and opportunities in substance abuse treatment, the gender-transformative approach in addiction care needs to be further explored, criticized and established in practice and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Schamp
- Department of Social Educational Care Work, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Vanderplasschen
- Department of Special Needs Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Florien Meulewaeter
- Department of Special Needs Education, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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