Podcasts as a Method to Deliver Education on Stigma Surrounding Opioid Use Disorder

Leveraging neuroscience education to address stigma related to opioid use disorder in the community: a pilot study

Opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose deaths are a public health crisis. One contributing factor is stigma towards people who use opioids. We developed and conducted a public-facing, half-day educational event designed to challenge misperceptions about OUD from a contemporary neuroscience perspective. Participants engaged with three different resources on the neurobiology of addiction, and, at the end of the event, they rated its effectiveness. We also collected and compared pre- and post-event composite OUD stigma scales. Participants rated our approach and the overall event as highly effective. Additionally, OUD stigma scores were lower immediately following the event, and this decrease was primarily driven by decreased internalized stigma. Here, we demonstrate an effective proof-of-concept that an accessible, public-facing, neuroscience education event may reduce OUD stigma in the community.

Leveraging neuroscience education to address stigma related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in the community: A pilot study

Opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose deaths are a public health crisis. One contributing factor is stigma towards people who use opioids. We developed and conducted a public-facing, half-day educational event designed to challenge misperceptions about OUD from a contemporary neuroscience perspective. Participants engaged with three different resources on the neurobiology of addiction; at the end of the event, they rated its effectiveness. We also collected and compared pre- and post-event composite OUD stigma scales. Participants rated our approach and the overall event as highly effective. Additionally, OUD stigma scores were lower immediately following the event, and this decrease was primarily driven by decreased internalized stigma. Here, we demonstrate an effective proof-of-concept that an accessible, public-facing, neuroscience education event may reduce OUD stigma in the community.

Hunting for Pearls: A Qualitative Analysis of the Reflections of Students Creating Psychiatric Podcasts

Purpose

This paper aims to explore medical student experiences of creating a peer-to-peer psychiatry educational podcast.

Methods

During psychiatry placement, ten year-4 University of Bristol medical students created peer-educational multi-episode podcasts on psychiatric topics. Following completion, they submitted reflective essays on their experiences. Qualitative thematic analysis of these essays was completed by two independent authors. Following data familiarisation, authors independently generated codes that were collated into relevant themes. Upon reaching thematic saturation, findings were collated, and member checking was carried out to confirm the validity of findings.

Results

Themes included effective preparation, choosing content, podcast production, enhancing learning, the weight of responsibility and creating educational support networks. All students found podcast creation to be beneficial for personal learning.

Conclusion

Exploration of students' experiences creating podcasts can support clearer guidance for medical podcast production, providing opportunities for educators to optimise podcast creation efficiency and educational effectiveness.