Community-level determinants of stakeholder perceptions of community stigma toward people with opioid use disorders, harm reduction services and treatment in the HEALing Communities Study

Davis, Alissa; Stringer, Kristi Lynn; Drainoni, Mari-Lynn; Oser, Carrie B.; Knudsen, Hannah K.; Aldrich, Alison; Surratt, Hilary L.; Walker, Daniel M.; Gilbert, Louisa; Downey, Dget L.; Gardner, Sam D.; Tan, Sylvia; Lines, Lisa M.; Vandergrift, Nathan; Mack, Nicole; Holloway, JaNae; Lunze, Karsten; McAlearney, Ann Scheck; Huerta, Timothy R.; Goddard-Eckrich, Dawn A.; El-Bassel, Nabila

doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104241

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…However, public gathering places also pose challenges, including triggers for relapse 7 and negative perceptions by the population. Nevertheless, city inhabitants apparently have greater acceptance than previously assumed, as new research has shown lower perceived community stigma in urban areas than in rural areas 25 . According to our results, a public gathering place for individuals using drugs is not necessarily a recruitment arena for young people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Place of Encounter: Health and Social Care Workers' Perspectives on Public Gathering Spaces for People Using Drugs

Bjønness,

Lie,

Grønnestad

2024

Preprint

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In the context of addressing substance use issues in urban areas, public gathering places for individuals who use drugs play a multifaceted role, serving as sites of belonging, support, and potential criminal activity. As these gathering places, often referred to as open drug scenes, are associated with drug dealing, violence, and harm, numerous attempts to close or control them by law enforcement have been made, resulting in increased violence, stigma, and risk of overdoses. This qualitative study explores the experiences of health and social workers regarding a public gathering place, referred to as “the Bench,” in a medium-sized Norwegian city. Through semi-structured interviews with thirteen participants representing various support agencies, four thematic areas emerged: 1) Belonging and a gateway to support and services, 2) Balancing user autonomy at the Bench and systems support, 3) The role of a centralized location, and 4) The preventive role of support workers at the Bench. While the Bench fosters a sense of community and provides access to vital services, concerns about illicit activities persist due to its visibility. Nevertheless, its central location facilitates outreach efforts and ensures easy access to support services. The study underscores the preventive role of healthcare and social workers in stabilizing the environment and mitigating conflicts. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of central locations for public gathering places, emphasizing the proximity to low-threshold services for overdose prevention. Despite some challenges, the Bench represents a crucial venue for establishing relationships and providing assistance to individuals who use drugs, contributing to harm reduction efforts in the community.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

A Place of Encounter: Health and Social Care Workers' Perspectives on Public Gathering Spaces for People Using Drugs

Bjønness,

Lie,

Grønnestad

2024

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Our prior work found higher perceived community stigma toward people treated for OUD and higher intervention stigma toward MOUD and naloxone among stakeholders in rural HCS communities than in urban HCS communities. 21 Differences in community stigma levels could impact the effectiveness of EBPs and community-level interventions, such as the CTH. Given the rural-urban differences noted above, the impact of the CTH and other community-level interventions may be less pronounced than in urban areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention on perceived opioid-related community stigma in the HEALing Communities Study: results of a multi-site, community-level, cluster-randomized trial

Davis,

Knudsen,

Walker

et al. 2024

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas

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Reducing perceived barriers to scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution and medications for opioid use disorder in the United States in the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term®) communities study

Knudsen,

Walker,

Mack

et al. 2024

Preventive Medicine

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Community-level determinants of stakeholder perceptions of community stigma toward people with opioid use disorders, harm reduction services and treatment in the HEALing Communities Study

Cited by 4 publications

References 88 publications

A Place of Encounter: Health and Social Care Workers' Perspectives on Public Gathering Spaces for People Using Drugs

A Place of Encounter: Health and Social Care Workers' Perspectives on Public Gathering Spaces for People Using Drugs

Effects of the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention on perceived opioid-related community stigma in the HEALing Communities Study: results of a multi-site, community-level, cluster-randomized trial

Reducing perceived barriers to scaling up overdose education and naloxone distribution and medications for opioid use disorder in the United States in the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term®) communities study

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