Perceived Stigma and its Impact on Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health

Perceived stigma (the perception of public attitudes towards members of a marginalized group) toward people who use substances hinders treatment seeking, impacts the quality of care received, and affects treatment success. Despite its relevance to treatment, research on stigma’s association with SUD-related outcomes is limited. This study aims to examine the associations between perceived stigma, types of substances used, mental health, and treatment type in a large sample across treatment sites. The present study involved survey completion upon treatment intake and early in treatment. Participants were individuals receiving treatment for substance use disorder (SUD; N=7591) in 75 treatment centers across the United States. Participants responded to the Perceived Stigma of Substance Abuse Scale (PSSAS). Participants’ primary substances were collected. Participants completed mental health (anxiety, depression, stress), quality of life, and substance use-related surveys (craving and pursuit of abstinence). Finally, the treatment type received by each patient was reported. Reporting primarily using alcohol predicted lower PSSAS scores, while primarily using benzodiazepines, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and opioids predicted higher PSSAS scores. Higher PSSAS scores also predicted higher levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and craving and lower levels of quality of life and pursuit of abstinence. Receiving intensive outpatient treatment predicted lower PSSAS scores. SUD patients report different levels of stigma depending on the substance they use and the type of treatment they receive. The differences in stigma levels predict distinctions in mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the need for tailored stigma-reduction interventions for those receiving SUD treatment. This is a preprint and, thus, not peer reviewed.