Staff regard towards working with substance users: a European multi-centre study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Professional Attitudes
• Substance Use Disorders

Background:

• Healthcare professionals' attitudes towards different patient groups can influence treatment quality.
• Understanding variations in regard across professional groups and settings is crucial for improving care for substance users.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the regard for working with various patient groups, including substance users, among different healthcare professionals across diverse settings in eight European countries.

Main Methods:

• A multi-centre, cross-sectional comparative study involving 866 multi-disciplinary professionals from 253 services across eight European countries.
• The Medical Condition Regard Scale was used to measure attitudes.
• Multi-factor analysis of variance was employed to identify factors associated with regard.

Main Results:

• Regard for working with alcohol and drug users was significantly lower than for patients with diabetes or depression across all participating countries.
• Professionals in primary care settings reported lower regard for working with substance users compared to those in general psychiatry or specialist addiction services.
• Country and treatment entry point were significant predictors of regard for working with substance users after controlling for other factors.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare professionals generally assign lower status to working with substance users compared to other patient populations.
• This disparity is particularly pronounced in primary care settings and varies in magnitude across different European countries.
• Addressing potential stigma associated with substance use is essential for equitable healthcare delivery.