Addiction-Related Stigma and Discrimination: A Qualitative Study in Treatment Centers in Mexico City

Abstract

Social rejection of drug use is greater than that directed at other psychiatric conditions, like depression and anxiety, which may lead to social exclusion of substance users and prevent them from seeking and receiving treatment.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the stigma and discrimination related to addiction in treatment centers in Mexico City.

Methods: Data are from a broad mixed methods study. The present study is a qualitative analysis of 35 in-depth interviews of drug users, family members, and providers, using guidelines for the exploration of experiences of stigma and discrimination related to substance abuse. A thematic analysis was carried out using specialized software (Atlas.ti 6.2.23).

Results: The common practices of stigma and discrimination (e.g., judging, mockery, inappropriate comments, overprotection, and hostile looks), were identified in participant testimonies. The narratives provide evidence of varied conditions of social and gender inequality, as well as experience of violence and abuse, that refer to a structural context of discrimination surrounding addiction, and that constitute obstacles to treatment.

Conclusions: The findings allow for a description of the stigmatization process surrounding addiction as a shared problem that requires the implementation of coordinated treatment strategies. They also suggest the need for more comprehensive policies of inclusion, based on human rights, which favor prevention and treatment.

Keywords: Addiction; Mexico; stigma intersectionality; structural discrimination; treatment process.