The Role of Misinformation and Stigma in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Uptake

Abstract

Background: Deaths due to opioid overdose continue to rise in the United States. Despite availability of effective treatment for opioid use disorder, uptake is low among those who misuse opioids. Methods: This paper explores the role of misconception, stigma, and misinformation in influencing decisions to initiate medications for opioid use disorder among patients and providers. Conclusion: Misinformation about opioids has been prevalent among future healthcare providers and first responders as well as pharmaceutical companies, which may have implications for treatment. Among individuals with opioid use disorder, treatment uptake and adherence have been negatively affected by misconceptions about treatment efficacy and side effects, as well as stigma. We discuss the role of social media, education, and the community, in mitigating misinformation and addressing misconceptions about opioids and treatment options.

Keywords:

• Misconception
• misinformation
• opioid use disorder
• stigma
• treatment

Declaration of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health under Grant 4R33AT010606-03.