The Perceived Stigma of Addiction and Treatment Utilization among Cannabis Addicts in Thailand

A major social problem among clients with substance use disorders is stigmatization related to health conditions, which contributes to poor mental and physical health circumstances and becomes hazardous to substance abuse treatment. Meanwhile, decreased stigmatization among cannabis users might occur because some people use cannabis without experiencing harm or believe it to be a harmless substance and might not be receiving treatment. Several studies have investigated stigma toward substance use disorder and treatment. However, less is known about how stigmatization influences treatment.

To investigate the association between the perceived stigma of addiction and treatment utilization among cannabis addicts.

A cross-sectional design was conducted with consecutive sampling techniques among 977 cannabis users recruited from all 7 compulsory drug detention centers in Thailand. The data were collected by standardized interviewers with a structured interviewing questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was applied to determine the effect of perceived stigma of treatment utilization.

Most clients were male (84.5%), had a family history of drug problems (54.5%), and had a history of mental health problems (5.1%). Most of them reported moderate-to-high levels of perceived stigma (87.2%) and received treatment (28.9%). Greater perceived stigma was associated with decreased treatment for cannabis abuse.

The perceived stigma of addiction is a barrier to cannabis abuse treatment utilization. Thus, a better understanding of stigma could reduce its negative impact on seeking and engaging in treatment.