The Impact of the Disease Model of Substance Use Disorder on Evidence Based Practice Adoption and Stigmatizing Attitudes: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundEvidence-based practices are shown to improve health outcomes in persons with substance use disorder (SUD), but practice adoption is often limited by stigma. Stigma towards these patients leads to poor communication, missed diagnoses, and treatment avoidance. AimsThe purpose of this study was to survey a rural community to conceptualize knowledge and attitudes towards SUD and opioid use disorder. DesignThe study design was cross-sectional survey using a convenience sample in a rural community in southwestern Ohio. MethodsA 25-item electronic survey was created to assess knowledge and attitudes of the community towards SUD, evidenced-based practices, and stigma. Questions were grouped into five subcategories to meaningfully address high-priority areas. Descriptive statistics included frequencies and percentages. A comparative analysis was performed using Chi-square and phi to evaluate response rates from the first question, A substance use disorder is a real illness like diabetes and heart disease, to the other survey questions. ResultsA total of 173 people responded to the survey. The response to “A substance use disorder is a real illness like diabetes and heart disease” resulted in two groups of similar size, with 83 (48.5%) of the respondents agreeing with the statement. There was a significant difference (p < .001) in 15 questions between the two groups. ConclusionsPeople who believe SUD is a real illness were more likely to support evidence-based treatment practices, show less stigma towards those suffering from SUD, and support harm reduction services.