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Standardized measures for substance use stigma
1Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Baker Hall 334, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0505, USA. seth.brown@uni.edu
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|January 25, 2011
Summary
This study developed and validated measures for substance use stigma. Findings indicate women exhibit higher stigma, highlighting the need for better tools to understand and address this issue in treatment seeking.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- High stigma associated with substance use may deter individuals from seeking treatment.
- Limited research exists on substance use stigma, with few validated measurement tools.
- Existing mental illness stigma measures may be adaptable for substance use contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of three new measures of substance use stigma.
- To assess the reliability and validity of adapted social distance, affect, and dangerousness scales.
Main Methods:
- Modified three established mental illness stigma scales to create substance use stigma measures.
- Administered the modified scales to a sample of 565 college students.
- Analyzed psychometric properties, including reliability and validity, and examined sex differences.
Main Results:
- Two modified measures, the Social Distance Scale for Substance Users and Affect Scale for Substance Users, demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties.
- The Dangerousness Scale for Substance Users showed inadequate psychometric properties.
- Women reported significantly higher substance use stigma on the validated scales compared to men (p<.01).
Conclusions:
- Validated measures for substance use stigma are crucial for advancing research in this area.
- The findings suggest sex differences in substance use stigma, with women experiencing higher levels.
- Standardized stigma measures can improve understanding of treatment-seeking barriers and inform interventions.
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