Implicit and Explicit Bias Toward Substance Use: A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Health Care Professionals,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Health care professionals (HCPs) and learners (HCLs) may hold explicit and implicit biases toward individuals using substances.
• It is unclear if these biases differ from the general population or emerge during training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine variations in implicit and explicit biases among HCPs, HCLs, and the general population.
• To investigate if training and experience influence the congruence between implicit and explicit biases.

Main Methods:

• Compared explicit and implicit biases using surveys and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) across three groups: HCPs, HCLs, and the general population.
• Analyzed explicit bias into "Prejudice" and "Stigma Endorsement" components.
• Used ANOVA and regression analyses to compare bias scores and congruence, controlling for profession and covariates.

Main Results:

• Overall moderate-to-strong negative biases were observed across all groups.
• No significant differences in explicit or implicit bias levels were found between the groups.
• HCPs showed a significantly stronger correlation between IAT and Prejudice scores compared to HCLs and the general population.

Conclusions:

• Implicit and explicit biases toward substance users did not differ across HCPs, HCLs, and the general population.
• HCPs demonstrated greater alignment between implicit and explicit biases, suggesting training and experience may reinforce stigma.
• Professional experience and environmental biases might be cyclically reinforced, failing to reduce stigma effectively.