Stigma by association among alcohol and other drug and harm reduction workers: Implications for workplace outcomes

The negative attitudes people hold towards those who use alcohol or other drugs (AOD) can also affect the people who work with this community, leading to lowered productivity and wellbeing. The impact of this stigma by association in the AOD and harm reduction sector is particularly significant because workers may have lived experience of AOD use and identify strongly with their client group. This study aimed to examine how stigma by association among health workers in the AOD/harm reduction sector relates to workplace outcomes. A secondary aim was to explore how lived experience influences experiences of stigma by association.

The research used a cross-sectional survey design and data collection occurred in 2023. Australian AOD/harm reduction workers (n = 228) completed an online survey assessing stigma by association as well as various workplace outcomes measures.

Participants who reported experiencing more stigma by association experienced poorer workplace wellbeing, higher burnout and greater intentions to leave the AOD/harm reduction field. Experiences of stigma by association were unrelated to job satisfaction. Additional analyses revealed that participants with lived experience reported higher levels of job satisfaction and lowered intentions to leave the sector, but findings of stigma by association and its impacts on workplace outcomes did not differ from those without lived experience.

Identifying staff experiences of stigma by association and developing support and advocacy mechanisms to address this is likely to be key to reducing these experiences and ultimately to increasing positive workplace outcomes for AOD and harm reduction staff.