Is cleanliness next to abstinence? The effect of cleanliness priming on attitudes towards harm reduction strategies for people with substance use disorders

Abstract

Can exposure to a cleanliness prime affect moral judgements towards harm reduction strategies (HRS) for individuals with substance use disorders? Our research examined (a) the effect of a cleanliness prime on attitudes towards HRS and (b) whether this effect would be attenuated by a brief educational presentation. Participants were randomly assigned to a priming condition and an educational presentation condition. Results demonstrated that (a) the cleanliness prime did not shift attitudes towards HRS, however, (b) the educational presentations significantly shifted attitudes to be more positive after the Harm Reduction presentation and more negative after the Healthy Living presentation. The literature on priming is mixed and our results support a growing body of research challenging the robustness of cleanliness priming and also demonstrates that brief presentations can change attitudes. Our research has implications for education on the benefits of HRS in reducing disease transmission, refuse in the community, and overdose deaths.

The influence of professional identity on perceptions of substance use harm reduction among professional counselors

“…Despite increased HR awareness in recent years, few scales have been developed to measure perceptions of these approaches for substance use. Many researchers continue to utilize the HRAS or HRAS‐R in studies examining HR perceptions among substance use treatment providers (Chatham, 2021; Ciccarelli et al., 2021; Estreet et al., 2017; Madden, 2016; Moore & Mattaini, 2014; Ortega, 2022).…”

Successful substance use disorder recovery in transitional housing: Perspectives from African American women.

“…Other literature supporting a self-created definition of recovery can be seen with other social-justice and empowerment focused substance use disorders (SUD) treatment programs. These include housing not conditional on abstinence from substance use (Housing-first model; Cherner et al, 2017; Pollack et al, 2021; Tsemberis et al, 2004) and harm reduction solutions (Ciccarelli et al, 2021; Jenkins et al, 2017). As noted in Dressel et al, women were deemed “successful graduates” of the program if they participated in the aspects of the program and were deemed by themselves and the counselors as ready to leave the program and be successful on their own (2020).…”