Medicine and Pharmacy Students' Role in Decreasing Substance Use Disorder Stigma: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• Stigma surrounding substance use disorders (SUDs) is a significant barrier to care, negatively impacting patient outcomes.
• Limited research exists on healthcare practitioners' perspectives regarding SUD stigma.
• This study explored healthcare professional students' views on their roles in mitigating SUD stigma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe healthcare professional students' perceived roles in reducing stigma associated with substance use disorders.
• To understand student perspectives on the impact of stigma on patient care.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative design utilizing focus groups with graduate-level healthcare students.
• Employed Link and Phelan's stigma conceptualization framework for focus group guide development.
• Analyzed transcripts using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach, facilitated by Dedoose software.

Main Results:

• Three emergent themes: student recognition of stigma, the role of healthcare professionals in harm reduction, and calls for enhanced advocacy.
• Participants acknowledged stigma as a barrier and proposed solutions.
• Findings highlight student perceptions of key issues and potential interventions for SUD stigma.

Conclusions:

• Expanded training is crucial, moving beyond the disease model of SUDs.
• Training should incorporate evidence-based approaches like advocacy and harm reduction.
• Addressing stigma is essential for improving the delivery of care to patients with SUDs.