Evaluating a Peer Developed Anti-Opiate Use Disorder Stigma Workshop

Background: This study analyzes data collected as part of the evaluation of an anti-stigma intervention developed by On Our Own Maryland (OOOM), a peer led organization and funded by the IRIS project. The intervention is a two- and half-hour session designed to increase awareness among health care providers about stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders. Public stigma directed toward individuals who use illicit substances or who have substance use disorders (SUD) has broad and negative impacts and is associated with lower treatment uptake and worse treatment outcomes. This problem is particularly problematic in health care setting where individuals who use illicit substances or who have SUD seek treatment to improve their health outcomes.

Methods: Between April 2022 and January 2023 OOOM conducted 10 workshops, six of the workshops were scheduled with substance use treatment provider organizations and local departments of behavioral health along with workshops open to the public. Overall, 132 individuals received the intervention and the workshops ranged in size from 5 participants to 23 participants. Posttest surveys included questions about the workshop and participant beliefs about the impact and effectiveness of the workshop. The IRIS team worked with OOOM to analyze the data using qualitative coding and univariate statistical analysis of the survey results.

Results: The workshops were positively reviewed by participants with 87% respondents indicating that they found the workshop to be excellent. The most frequently identified strength of the workshop was the small group discussions that allowed respondents to discuss their experiences of stigma. This process of discussing stigma was facilitated by a strong focus on non-judgmental self-assessment and the normalization of stigma. Correspondingly, 78% of respondents indicated that they felt very safe discussing difficult personal stigma-related topics and no respondent indicated feeling unsafe. Consistent with the goals of the intervention the most frequent identified takeaway reported by respondents was to work on their own stigma toward their clients. The most frequently identified area for workshop improvement is increasing the focus on stigma in health care settings specifically.

Implications: This presentation will discuss the OOOM anti-stigma intervention and the strengths and challenges of addressing stigma in health care settings. The current evaluation of the intervention provides support for the approach of working with participants to identify their own stigma and facilitating a discussion of that stigma in small groups. Respondents reported feeling like the facilitators created a safe space to discuss difficult stigma related topics and that they felt empowered to address stigma in their workplace. Respondents did want more specific content related to stigma in health care settings. The presentation will also discuss ongoing efforts to link hypothesized workshop outcomes to measures of stigma and related outcomes and how this community-academic partnership is developing an NIH application to test the effectiveness of the intervention.