Beat the Stigma: Examining Effectiveness of the Ohio Opioid Alliance Campaign in Reducing Stigma Against Alcohol Addiction
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Date
2023-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
One of the biggest barriers to treatment when it comes to addiction is the stigma that surrounds it. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in seven Americans aged 12 or older reports experiencing a substance use disorder (SUD). Moreover, people who perceive high stigma around SUDs are half as likely to receive help (Volkow et al., 2021). To combat this, the Ohio Opioid Alliance launched a campaign to reduce the stigma against those with SUDs. This study analyzed the effects of exposure to the campaign by conducting a secondary data analysis. Specifically, I examined how exposure to the campaign was associated with stigma levels and the likelihood of supporting close friends or immediate family members with SUDs in getting treatment. The analysis found that exposure to the campaign correlated with a reduction in stigma towards those with SUDs, which was, in turn, associated with increased willingness to engage in supportive behaviors for treatment. Exposure to the campaign accounted for 3.2% of the variance in the level of reported stigma. Together, level of stigma and exposure to the campaign accounted for 2.4% of the variance in the likelihood to support treatment for immediate family and close friends with SUDs. Future research can explore other variables that impact stigma and support for treatment, as well as look at the differences in helping family through treatment versus helping friends through treatment.
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Keywords
addiction, stigma, bias reduction, Ohio Opioid Education Alliance