Addiction Stigma Among Mental Health Professionals and Medical Students in Egypt

Mental health stigma and its relationship with mental health professionals - A narrative review and practice implications

The extent and magnitude of the mental health stigma are enormous, with substantial clinical and social implications. There is a complex relationship between mental health stigma and mental health professionals (MHPs); MHPs can be anti-stigma crusaders, victims of stigma, and even a source of stigma. Unfortunately, literature is scarce talking about the relationship between stigma and MHPs. Hence, the current review aims to bridge the existing gap in the literature on various aspects of stigma and the role of MHPs. For the current review, we ran a search in PubMed and Google Scholar databases; we restricted our study to records focusing on the interplay of mental health stigma and the MHPs, published during 2012-2022, in English, and having a full text available. We found that MHPs (psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses) can also be the recipients of the stigma. The stigma faced by the MHPs is determined by the negative stereotypes set by the media, or medical students, or other health professionals; the marginal position of psychiatry in the health system; difficult-to-treat mental disorders; MHPs' own experience of stigma; and the attitude or beliefs of various caders of the MHPs, their professional experience, and expertise in managing various mental health conditions. Notably, MHPs can also be a source of stigma (stigmatizers). MHPs need to be sensitized concerning this, and the anti-stigma interventions must incorporate this aspect of stigma. Novel interventions, such as digital-based programs, should be used instead of traditional anti-stigma programs in order to decrease stigma around mental health issues and make anti-stigma initiatives more appealing and scalable. To address the issues of stigma, there has to be more communication between MHPs, other health professionals, service users, and policymakers.

Testing Interventions to Address Bias About Patients with Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department

INTRODUCTION

Reducing nurse bias about patients with opioid use disorder in the emergency department is critical for providing nonjudgmental care, enhancing patient outcomes, supporting effective communication, and promoting a holistic approach to care. Emergency nurses can make a positive impact on the lives of individuals diagnosed as having opioid use disorder by providing care that is free from stigma and discrimination.

METHODS

The study used an observational, pretest-posttest design to compare educational sessions addressing bias and stigma toward patients with opioid use disorder. The study population consisted of emergency nurses who self-selected into a virtual learning experience consisting of e-modules or simulation-based experience consisting of simulation-based experience consisting of simulation, discussion, and a speaker.

RESULTS

After the intervention, the simulation-based experience group showed an increase in total score postintervention from a mean of 118.6 to a mean of 127.1 (P < .001). The virtual learning experience group also showed an increase in total score postintervention from a mean of 116.3 to 120.7 (P < .001). Although both groups showed an increase in scores over time, the simulation-based experience group had a greater increase (P = .0037). Within the simulation-based experience, there was an increase in scores across all age groups (P < .05) but a significantly greater increase in scores among younger nurses (18-29 years) than the older age groups (P = .006).

DISCUSSION

Opioid use disorder is a complex condition that requires a comprehensive and holistic approach to care. Study results indicate that providing an educational experience to address stigma about patients diagnosed as having opioid use disorder can significantly affect nurse perceptions about these patients and their self-efficacy when working with them. However, investing in a simulation-based educational experience provides a stronger experience and results in greater change, particularly for younger, less experienced emergency nurses.

Assessing self-stigma levels and associated factors among substance use disorder patients at two selected psychiatric hospitals in Egypt: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Substance use disorder is a growing problem worldwide, and the stigma associated with it remains a significant barrier to treatment and recovery. This study aimed to assess the perceived stigma among individuals with substance use disorders and its correlation with their socio-demographic characteristics and clinical history Parameters.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 552 patients with substance use disorders admitted to the outpatient clinics of Mansoura University Hospital, Addiction Treatment Unit of the Psychiatry Department, and Port Said Mental Hospital, Addiction Department. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included demographic information, clinical history parameters, and the Perceived Stigma of Substance Abuse Scale (PSAS).

RESULTS

The study found that almost half of the participants were aged 29 or younger, married, and had a median stigma score of 20. The vast majority of participants were male, had no previous legal problems, and had a median stigma score of 19. The most common type of substance used was opioids, and more than half of the participants were still using drugs. The highest mean stigma scores were for the items "Most people think less of a person who has been in treatment for substance use" and "Most employers will pass over the application of someone who has been treated for substance use in favor of another applicant." The perceived stigma score was significantly correlated with the severity of use but not with age or duration of use.

CONCLUSION

Our study investigates self-stigma in substance use disorder (SUD), revealing its variance across demographics and clinical groups. We found that self-stigma correlates with use severity and possibly decreases with abstinence. Notably, societal bias contributes significantly to self-stigma, necessitating societal interventions. The impact of self-stigma on patient well-being highlights the need for personalized treatments and stigma reduction strategies.

Attitudes of health professionals towards people with substance use disorders in Brazil, controlling for the effects of social desirability

Health professionals are in a strategic position to help people with substance use disorders (SUDs) who seek health services for support or treatment. However, it is known that professionals' attitudes towards people who use alcohol and other drugs are marked by stigmatizing attitudes that create barriers to access quality treatment and make it difficult for the user to adhere to it. From this, the present study aimed to investigate the attitudes of 264 health professionals from specialised services and primary health care (PHC) in the Southeast region of Brazil, through Opening Minds Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC), taking into account the hypothesis of contact with the subject as a predictor of more positive attitudes. For this, a Multiple Hierarchical Regression was carried out to ascertain the contribution of the variables used in the explanatory model of attitudes. In addition, the measure of social desirability (SD), assessed by Brazilian Portuguese adaptation of Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, was used as a control variable in the regression model to obtain a more robust and accurate model regarding the presence of biased responses, pervasive in studies on attitudes. In general, our findings showed that contact/familiarity with substance use, either through direct contact with users or through the respondent's own use, predicted more positive attitudes, with specialised service professionals expressing more positive attitudes than those working in PHC. Blaming the user for his/her condition presented itself as a predictor of more negative attitudes. Studies like this are of paramount importance for understanding the relationship established between professionals and service users and, therefore, for tailoring interventions and programs that aim to reduce stigmatizing attitudes and provide better access to health for people with SUDs. The importance of using the SD measure as a control variable in Regression is also emphasised, as an effective way to overcome to a common limitation in studies of attitudes.

Experiences of peer support workers supporting individuals with substance use disorders in Egypt: phenomenological analysis

Background

Peer support work for substance use disorders is widely implemented in high-income countries. More research is still needed to understand its applicability in settings which have proportionately low budgets allocated to mental health. Peer Support Workers are individuals who managed to achieve recovery from substance use disorders and help people remain engaged in their recovery and prevent relapse through shared understanding.

Aim

To investigate the experience of peer support workers providing recovery support to people with substance use disorders in Egypt.

Methods

A qualitative phenomenological design was used in which 17 adults working as peer support workers for substance use disorders were recruited by means of purposive and snowball sampling. A semi-structured interview with participants was conducted by phone or video-call. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed based on descriptive phenomenology.

Results

Three superordinate themes were identified: role responsibility, Peer Support Workers’ need for organizational and stakeholders’ support, and challenges to the role integrity.

Conclusion and recommendations

The findings indicate the need for national and governmental support to peer support workers engaged with people with substance use disorders in Egypt and educating families and the public about the role of peer support workers in substance use disorders.

Addressing Bias and Stigma in the Language We Use With Persons With Opioid Use Disorder: A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND: Despite an increase in access to medications for opioid use disorder, less than 20% of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive treatment. Stigmatizing language has been identified as a potential trigger for explicit and implicit biases that may adversely affect treatment enrollment and quality of care for persons with OUD. AIMS: To conduct a narrative review of the literature on stigmatizing language and OUD, examine how treatment outcomes are affected, and present strategies to reduce bias and promote OUD treatment. METHOD: A narrative review of the literature between 2010 and 2019 was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO. Key search terms were opioid use disorder (or substance use disorder), stigma, and language. Fifty-two articles were screened for inclusion, and 17 articles were included in this review. RESULTS: The articles reviewed provide consensus that stigmatizing language toward persons with OUD fosters explicit and implicit bias and impedes engagement in treatment. Four themes emerged: (1) stigma and language, (2) stigma and language used by health care professionals, (3) stigma and language used by the general public, and (4) stigma and language used by people with OUD. CONCLUSIONS: Stigmatizing language is dehumanizing and plays a pivotal role in bias and discrimination that may contribute to unsatisfactory treatment outcomes among persons with OUD. Health care professionals, nursing in particular, must assume an intentional stance against stigma perpetuated toward persons with OUD through advocacy in education, practice, policy, and the media.

Odnos medicinskih sester do pacienta, odvisnega od prepovedanih drog

Uvod: Odnos medicinskih sester do pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog, je dejavnik, ki vpliva tako na izid zdravljenja kot na rehabilitacijo pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog. Namen raziskave je bil raziskati odnos medicinskih sester do zdravstvene obravnave pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog.Metode: Uporabili smo analizo in sintezo pregleda dokazov iz zbirk podatkov CINAHL, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, SpringerLink, WILEY in PubMed. Omejitvena kriterija iskanja sta bila: objava članka med letoma 2008 in 2018 ter dostopnost celotnega besedila članka v angleščini. Oblikovan je bil konceptualni model PICOT s ključnimi besedami: »nurses«, »substance use disorders«, »attitudes«. Ocena kakovosti dokazov je prikazana v hierarhiji dokazov. Podatki so bili obdelani s tematsko analizo.Rezultati: V končni pregled je bilo vključenih 18 izbranih ustreznih člankov, identificiranih je bilo 68 kod, ki so združene v pet vsebinskih kategorij: (1) dejavniki vpliva na negativen medosebni odnos; (2) dejavniki vpliva na pozitivnejši medosebni odnos; (3) psihopatološki, vedenjski in drugi dejavniki tveganja na strani pacienta, ki imajo pomen za kakovost medosebnega odnosa; (4) posledice neustreznega odnosa medicinskih sester za zdravstveno obravnavo pacientov; (5) ukrepi za preprečevanje predsodkov in stigmatizacije pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog.Diskusija in zaključek: Raziskava potrjuje negativni odnos medicinskih sester do pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog. Določeni dejavniki so povezani tako z negativnim kot s pozitivnim odnosom medicinskih sester do teh pacientov. Njihovo proučevanje in posledice za zdravstveno oskrbo pacientov, odvisnih od prepovedanih drog, pa zahtevajo dodatne raziskave.

Actitudes, creencias y estigma atribuidos por profesionales de la salud a dependientes de sustancias psicoactivas: una revisión sistemática

Objetivos: el uso abusivo y la dependencia de alcohol y otras drogas es muy común entre las comunidades y visto como un problema de salud pública, que requiere cuidados y tratamientos; así la presente revisión sistemática tiene como objetivo analizar las publicaciones científicas respecto de las actitudes, creencias y comportamientos estigmatizantes por parte de los profesionales de la salud frente a los usuarios de sustancias psicoativas, quienes buscan atención en los servicios de salud. Metodología: durante el mes de mayo de 2018 se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos de SciELO, LILACS, Pubmed, PsycINFO y Pepsic que generó un total de 35 artículos que se correspondieron con los criterios de inclusión. Resultados: se logra observar que, aunque los profesionales tienen consciencia acerca de su rol en la atención de los pacientes y que a veces tienen predisposición para atenderlos, las actitudes y creencias negativas pravelecen, debido al miedo, el poco interés, el prejuicio, la impaciencia y la falta de conocimiento sobre la problemática, evidenciados en los comportamientos de dichos profesionales. Por lo tanto, se señala la necesidad de promover discusiones y nuevas reflexiones, que deben ser realizadas conjuntamente con los profesionales, con el objetivo de elaborar estrategias de disminución de las actitudes negativas y del estigma, los cuales deben, además, ser trabajados desde la formación.

Can Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Education and Clinical Exposure Affect Nursing Students' Stigma Perception Toward Alcohol and Opioid Use?

BACKGROUND: Alcohol and/or opioid stigma perceptions are barriers to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) implementation. AIM: To examine SBIRT education and clinical exposure efficacy at decreasing nursing students' stigma perceptions toward caring for patients affected by alcohol and/or opioid use problems. METHOD: A single-sample, pretest-posttest design with N = 124 nursing students. The students had a 1.5-hour SBIRT education session and a 12-week clinical experience with some patients who had alcohol and/or opioid use problems. RESULTS: The participants' stigma perceptions improved toward patients who had alcohol and/or opioid use problems. CONCLUSIONS: SBIRT education and clinical exposure may provide a basis for promoting understanding of alcohol and/or opioid use-related stigma and can be used as an intervention to decrease some of stigma's negative effects.

Changing BSN Students' Stigma Toward Patients Who Use Alcohol and Opioids Through Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Education and Training: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Stigma associated with substance use is considered a barrier to implementing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and assisting patients to receive appropriate treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To test the efficacy of SBIRT education and training in changing undergraduate nursing students' attitudes about working with patients who have problems with alcohol and opioid use.

DESIGN

A sample of 49 undergraduate nursing students were surveyed, using five subscales, at three time points.

RESULTS

After a 15-week semester that included (a) SBIRT education and (b) weekly clinical experiences with patients who had alcohol use problems the undergraduate nursing students' stigma decreased as measured by three of the five subscales. The students' attitudes toward working with patients who had opioid use problems exhibited favorable change as measured by four of the five subscales.

CONCLUSION

SBIRT education and training for undergraduate nursing students might help mitigate some of their stigma toward working with patients who have mild to moderate alcohol and opioid use problems.