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Mental health

Stigma in Substance Use Treatment: A Qualitative Study on Participant Perspectives

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Research published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports has explored the experiences of stigma in substance use treatment, coping strategies, and the contexts in which individuals feel stigmatized due to current or past substance use. The study, conducted by researchers at Yale School of Public Health, involved semi-structured interviews with 55 individuals enrolled in substance use treatment programs in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the U.S.

The researchers found that participants described feeling stigmatized by treatment staff, healthcare practitioners, and family, with greater stigma reported for the use of criminalized substances and intravenous use compared to non-criminalized substances and non-injection use methods. Participants also identified active and avoidant strategies to manage stigmatizing experiences, empathetic views of people who use substances, and a preference for treatment providers with lived experience.

The study's recommendations include prioritizing providers with lived experience, training healthcare workers in culturally responsive care, and integrating coping strategies and harm reduction into treatment to reduce stigma. The research highlights the need for a more compassionate and non-judgmental approach to substance use treatment, acknowledging the complexities of stigma and its impact on individuals' treatment experiences.

Key Takeaways:

  • Participants described feeling stigmatized by treatment staff, healthcare practitioners, and family, with greater stigma reported for the use of criminalized substances and intravenous use compared to non-criminalized substances and non-injection use methods.
  • The study identified five themes related to stigma and coping strategies: feeling stigmatized by treatment staff, greater stigma for criminalized substances, active and avoidant coping strategies, empathetic views of people who use substances, and a preference for treatment providers with lived experience.
  • Recommendations include prioritizing providers with lived experience, training healthcare workers in culturally responsive care, and integrating coping strategies and harm reduction into treatment to reduce stigma.
  • The study's findings emphasize the need for a more compassionate and non-judgmental approach to substance use treatment, acknowledging the complexities of stigma and its impact on individuals' treatment experiences.
  • Charles Ashley Warnock, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States, was involved in the study.
  • Additional authors included Kaylia Carroll, Ashlin Ondrusek, Frances J. Griffith, Adam Viera, Noah Hopkins, Carmen Muniz-Almaguer, Cathy Jian, Carson F. Ferrara, Jessica Muilenburg, and Trace Kershaw.

Statistics:

  • 55 individuals were interviewed for the study, enrolled in substance use treatment programs in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the U.S.
  • The study was conducted from February to October 2023.
  • Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.
  • The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework was used to organize themes.
  • 5 themes were identified: feeling stigmatized by treatment staff, greater stigma for criminalized substances, active and avoidant coping strategies, empathetic views of people who use substances, and a preference for treatment providers with lived experience.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. New Alcohol and Drug Research Findings Has Been Reported by Researchers at Yale School of Public Health (Substance use, stigma, and coping in treatment: A qualitative study of participant perspectives). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 435.
  • Substance use, stigma, and coping in treatment: A qualitative study of participant perspectives. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 2025;17:100380.

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