Addiction & the Stigma of Substance Use Disorders

The CDC (2021) states that stigma creates fear and anger toward people, pulling away focus from the issue that actually causes the problem. It forces those affected to hide their symptoms, prevents them from seeking the right help and is a barrier to adopting healthy behavior. Stigmatization increases the difficulty of resolving the crisis of addiction and substance abuse.  According to PAHO(2020), “there is no magic solution in treating substance dependence” as it “is a long process, with varying services, not always adequately available or provided.” Although addiction is treatable, a major barrier to the delivery of effective treatment and care is stigma.

Dr. Anthony L. Schlaff, MD, MPH is the former Director of the Public Health Program and Professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and is the Director of Public Health and Clinical Education at the Addiction Training for Health Professionals (ATHP) program. Dr. Schlaff is a former president of the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research and is a recipient of the 2017 Duncan Clark Award. He has worked on Residency Programme Development, collaborating with the American Association of Preventive Medicine to create educational resources and structures to support addiction medicine-focused preventionists. 

 

Dr. Schlaff expressed his concerns about the stigma surrounding substance use and addiction, which remains a persistent and pervasive problem today. Substance abuse stigma can prevent individuals from seeking treatment and coming forward with their addictions. He remarked that “we can be part of the solution in de-stigmatizing substance abuse.” When talking about the role that ATHP plays in Global Public Health, Dr, Schlaff explained that it is “democratizing education” by making it available and accessible to individuals across the globe. He urges medical practitioners and health professionals to be part of the “solution” by addressing problems related to stigmatization and barriers to care.

ATHP recognizes the grave burden that stigmatizing attitudes can have on the treatment and care of patients with substance use disorders. In an effort to be part of this proposed solution, ATHP recognizes that the priority is to prepare all healthcare professionals to adequately screen, diagnose and treat patients with substance use disorders through free courses addressing addiction and mental health concerns.

Alixandria Ali BSc

Alixandria Ali BSc

Author

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