Perceptions of stigma among people with lived experience of methamphetamine use within the hospital setting

Qualitative point-in-time interviews and thematic analyses of experiences

Bibliographic Data

ID22088599
AuthorsCheryl Forchuk (0000-0001-6936-3932, Western University), Jonathan Serrato (0000-0003-4668-691X, Lawson Health Research Institute, corresponding author), Leanne Scott (0000-0002-7174-5793, Western University)
Year2024
Volume12
Pages1279477-1279477
Publication date2024-02-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2024.1279477
PMID38414902
OpenAlexW4391784503
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited35

Objectives: As part of a larger mixed-methods study into harm reduction in the hospital setting and people with lived experience of methamphetamine use, stigma was found to be a prominent issue. The aim of this secondary analysis was to investigate the issue of stigma. Design: Participants completed a one-time qualitative interview component to assess their experiences in the hospital setting. Setting: The study setting included secondary and tertiary care in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Participants who had received care from these settings were also recruited from an overdose prevention site, a primary healthcare center, a national mental health organization, an affordable housing agency, and six homeless-serving agencies between October 2020 and April 2021. Participants: A total of 104 individuals completed the qualitative component of a mixed-methods interview. Sixty-seven participants identified as male, thirty-six identified as female, and one identified as non-binary. Inclusion criteria included past or current use of methamphetamine, having received services from a hospital, and being able to communicate in English. Methods: using a thematic ethnographic approach due to prominent perceptions of stigma. Results: Three themes were identified. The first theme identified that substance use was perceived as a moral and personal choice; the second theme pertained to social stigmas such as income, housing and substance use, and consequences such as being shunned or feeling less worthy than the general patient population; and the third theme highlighted health consequences such as inadequate treatment or pain management. Conclusion: This study revealed that stigma can have consequences that extend beyond the therapeutic relationship and into the healthcare of the individual. Additional training and education for healthcare providers represents a key intervention to ensure care is non-stigmatizing and patient-centered, as well as changing hospital culture

Denial · Environmental health · Family medicine · Feeling · Harm reduction · Health care · Mental health · Population · Psychiatry · Public health · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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