Social support is associated with reduced stigma and shame in a sample of rural and small urban adults in methadone treatment

Abstract

Background

Social support from family, friends, and others promotes retention, decreased substance use, and other positive outcomes for people in substance use treatment. Methadone treatment-related stigma makes social support vital for clients. Little is known about the relationships between stigma, shame, and social support for methadone treatment clients in rural and small urban communities. This study examines these relationships among such clients at an opioid treatment program (OTP) in Michigan.

Methods

Adults (N = 267) at the OTP completed a web-based survey, including measures of general social support, friend support, demographic variables, opioid use-related shame, frequency of hearing negative comments about methadone treatment, past-year opioid use, and other variables not included in the present analysis. Multiple regression was used to examine associations between general social support (model 1), friend support (model 2) and other included variables.

Results

Half of the participants (48.3%) reported past-year opioid use. In multiple regression analyses, male gender was inversely associated with general social support. Opioid use-related shame and experiencing treatment-related stigma were inversely associated with general social support and friend support.

Conclusions

This study adds to the methadone treatment literature by highlighting how shame and stigma might be reduced amongst methadone treatment clients. Greater social support may reduce shame and stigma, making favorable treatment outcomes more likely. Clients with greater opioid-use-related shame and who more frequently experience treatment-related stigma may be particularly vulnerable and need additional supports to maintain recovery. Interventions to enhance support should thus address shame and stigma.

Keywords:

• Social support
• methadone treatment
• stigma
• opioid use disorder

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Wayne State University Institutional Review Board. Before beginning the study, participants read an information sheet detailing participant rights and study procedures. This information sheet stated that participation was voluntary, that participants could withdraw from the study at any time, and that no decision about study participation would affect receiving services at the OTP. After reviewing this information sheet, participants were presented with the option to consent or decline (by clicking on their choice) before proceeding to the survey.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services under Grant TI080228. This publication does not necessarily represent the views of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.