Books, Articles and Research

Public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland, 1994-2003
The purpose of this study was to analyse trends in public attitudes towards people with mental illness in England and Scotland using Department of Health Attitudes to Mental Illness Surveys, 1994-2003.

Interpersonal discrimination and the health of illicit drug users
The purpose of this study was to examine the association between interpersonal discrimination and the mental and physical health of illicit drug users taking into account several potential confounding factors.

Drugs and social exclusion in ten European cities.
The aim of this study is to describe social characteristics seen among socially excluded drug users in 10 cities from 9 European countries, and identify which social exclusion indicators (i.e. housing, employment, education) are most closely linked to intravenous drug use.

An unholy alliance: substance abuse and social exclusion among assertive outreach patients
The object of this study is to investigate the relationship between social exclusion and outcomes of people with mental illness and substance abuse problems receiving assertive outreach treatment in London.

Physicians-in-training attitudes toward caring for and working with patients with alcohol and drug abuse diagnoses
This study is designed to identify the progression of attitudinal shifts over time of physicians-in-training toward caring for people who receive substance abuse treatment.

Stigma, discrimination and the health of illicit drug users
In this study, the authors measured discrimination related to drug use, alienation, perceived devaluation, and responses to discrimination and stigma. Health measures included mental and physical health measures from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36, depression symptoms from the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, and a sum of health conditions.

The specter of shame in substance misuse
This article provides an introduction to the concept of shame as it relates to substance misuse. Empirical research on shame and addiction and the theoretical and operational definitions that underpin them are discussed.

An investigation of stigma in individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse.
This study examined the impact of stigma on people in substance abuse treatment. Patients from fifteen residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities completed a survey focused on their experiences with stigma as well as other measures of drug use and functioning.

Implicit prejudice toward injecting drug users predicts intentions to change jobs among drug and alcohol nurses
In the current research, drug and alcohol nurses reported their level of stress working with people who inject drugs , their job satisfaction, their explicit prejudice toward people who inject drugs , and their intentions to leave drug and alcohol nursing.

Discrimination, historical loss and enculturation: Culturally specific risk and resiliency factors for alcohol abuse among American Indians
This report investigates the effects of discrimination, historical loss and enculturation on meeting diagnostic criteria for 12-month alcohol abuse among American Indians who share a common culture in the upper Midwest.

Addressing negative attitudes toward substance use in nursing: A peer-led approach in nurse education
The overall focus of the author?s doctoral research is to consider the factors that influence the attitudes of student nurses toward the use of illicit substances.The project will provide an insight into how pre-existing attitudes and values around illicit drugs have formed and are adapted during pre-registration nurse training.

Recovery rising: Radical recovery in America
This article conveys the vision of radical recovery from substance abuse and other unwell behaviors for the benefit of human life, natural life, and the future generations.

Social exclusion in clients with comorbid mental health and substance misuse problems
A case-control study to examine aspects of social exclusion between service users who have comorbid diagnoses and those with a single diagnosis. Samples were drawn from the service users of a mental health Trust in the South-East of England, from both Adult Mental Health (n = 400) and Drug and Alcohol services (n = 190). Data were collected from Care Programme Approach assessment forms and medical records.

On stigma and its consequences: Evidence from a longitudinal study of men with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse.
In this study the authors test whether stigma has enduring effects on well-being by interviewing 84 men with dual diagnoses of mental disorder and substance abuse at two points in time--at entry into treatment, when they were addicted to drugs and had many psychiatric symptoms and then again after a year of treatment, when they were far less symptomatic and largely drug- and alcohol-free. This finding indicates that stigma continues to complicate the lives of the stigmatized even as treatment improves their symptoms and functioning.

Negative attitudes towards people with co-morbid mental health and substance misuse problems: An investigation of mental health professionals
The goal of this study was to to investigate mental health professionals' attitudes to substance misusers. Associations between attitude and demographic factors, such as age, experience, professional status, additional training, educational level and own substance use were also investigated.

Psychosocial treatments for people with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance misuse: Systematic review
This is a report of a systematic review to assess current evidence for the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for reducing substance use, as well as improving mental state and encouraging treatment retention, among people with dual diagnosis.

Stigma and Discrimination in Health-Care Provision to Drug Users: The Role of Values, Affect, and Deservingness Judgments
This study examined the role of values, affect, and deservingness judgments in health professionals' views of patients with stigmatized conditions (e.g., drug dependence).

Mental health and substance abuse treatment services for dually diagnosed clients: Results of a statewide survey of county administrators
Findings are presented from a survey of administrators of county departments of mental health and alcohol and drug programs in California regarding services for individuals with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders. Administrators cited historical differences between the two service systems and societal stigma as the greatest barriers to service delivery. Counties varied widely in their ability to estimate unmet service needs. Implications for policy development related to the dually diagnosed are discussed.

Stigma, Work, and "Unseen" Illness: A Case and Notes to Enhance Understanding
The article presents a review of the stigma literature followed by the presentation of a taxonomy of potential determinants and detriments of stigma for those with invisible chronic illness

Addiction, stigma and movies
To identify common character stereotypes of alcohol and other drug users as portrayed in motion pictures.

Social exclusion in clients with comorbid mental health and substance misuse problems
The concept of comorbid mental health problems and substance misuse has gained prominence in the last two decades, due in part to the closure of large psychiatric hospitals and to the increasing prevalence of drug use in the community. This client group has a dual requirement for both medical and social care needs and is at risk for social exclusion.

Reducing self-stigma in substance abuse through acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, manual development, and pilot outcomes
This article describes the development of an acceptance based treatment (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-ACT) for self-stigma in individuals in treatment for substance use disorder.

Stigma, social inequality and alcohol and drug use
This paper discusses stigma and marginalization in connection with psychoactive substance use, and how these affect patterns by social class and other social inequalities.  The author argues that because alcohol and drug use are highly moralized issues, lower income individuals who enter treatment for AOD abuse are often faced with stigma and marginalization, which then in turn result in adverse outcomes. 

The stigma of substance abuse: A review of the literature
This paper provides an in-depth look at the literature that has been developed on stigma, particularly as related to substance abuse.

An investigation of stigma in individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse
This study examined the impact of stigma on patients in substance abuse treatment. Patients from fifteen residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities completed a survey focused on their experiences with stigma as well as other measures of drug use and functioning.

Blame, shame, and contamination: The impact of mental illness and drug dependence stigma on family members
Family members of relatives with mental illness or drug dependence or both report that they are frequently harmed by public stigma. No population-based survey, however, has assessed how members of the general public actually view family members. Hence, the authors examined ways that family role and psychiatric disorder influence family stigma.

Stigma, discrimination and the health of illicit drug users
Researchers conducted this study to measure how discrimination may affect the mental and physical health among illicit drug users. The association of stigma and discrimination with poor health among drug users suggests the need for debate on the relative risks and benefits of stigma and discrimination in this context.

Mental health provider perspectives on co-occurring substance use among severely mentally ill clients
This qualitative study explores strategies used by mental health providers to address substance use problems among clients with serious mental illnesses and their perspectives on barriers to treatment and how treatment can be improved.

Severely mentally ill consumers' perspectives on drug use
This qualitative study examined two potential client-level barriers to treatment: minimization of drug problems and perceived acceptability of drug use to reduce psychiatric symptoms. Open-ended interviews about drug use were conducted with 24 adults with severe mental illlnesses with substance use problems.

The alcoholic stigma and the disease concept
Acceptance by the client of the label ""alcoholic"" is viewed by many practitioners as a prerequisite to alcohol abuse recovery. This study demonstrates, however, that the label is a highly stigmatized term associated with the skid row habitué. This study demonstrates that although the disease concept is widely held, the image of the term ""alcoholic"" remains highly stigmatized. These findings have implications for clinicians in the areas of labeling and the phenomenon of client denial.

Alcohol, drugs and stigma
In this article, the author discusses alcohol and drug related problems and the stigma that individuals experience by the public and professionals. He also explores the barriers that arise from these stigmatizing views.

What's in a label? The effects of substance types and labels on treatment considerations and stigma
In this study, researchers evaluated responses to selected scenarios related to substance abuse. These evaluations demonstrated how individuals view different types of substance abuse and possibilities of recovery.

On stigma and its consequences: Evidence from a longitudinal study of men with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse
In this study researchers test whether stigma has enduring effects on well-being by interviewing 84 men with dual diagnoses of mental disorder and substance abuse at two points in time--at entry into treatment, when they were addicted to drugs and had many psychiatric symptoms and then again after a year of treatment, when they were far less symptomatic and largely drug- and alcohol-free.

Factors associated with perceived stigma for alcohol use and treatment among at-risk drinkers
This study examined the perceived public stigma for alcohol use and treatment among a sample of 733 at-risk drinkers living in the South.