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. 2018 Jan;39(1):3-27.
doi: 10.1177/0192513X15581659. Epub 2015 Apr 24.

Stigma as a Barrier to Substance Abuse Treatment Among Those With Unmet Need: An Analysis of Parenthood and Marital Status

Kristi L Stringer  1 , Elizabeth H Baker  1
Affiliations

Stigma as a Barrier to Substance Abuse Treatment Among Those With Unmet Need: An Analysis of Parenthood and Marital Status

Kristi L Stringer et al. J Fam Issues. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Substance use (SU) stigma is one factor contributing to unmet need for SU treatment. Additionally, theory suggests that women and single parents who use substances experience enhanced stigma because they do not adhere to normative social expectations. This study examines differences in perceived stigma by gender and parenthood among those with unmet need for SU treatment using the 2003-2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health (N = 1,474). Results indicate that women are more likely to report stigma as a barrier to treatment compared with men, though the interaction between gender and parenthood is not significant. We find that married parents report the highest level of stigma. We situate our findings in past health-related stigma research. We suggest that these results shed a light on stigma, particularly as it relates to family status, as a contributing factor to differences regarding SU treatment utilization. Finally, we raise a provocative question concerning social status and anticipated stigma.

Keywords: family health; family theory; gender and family; quantitative; single parents.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Predicted log odds of stigmas a barrier among those with unmet need, by parent and marital status. NSDUH, 2003-2010. Note. NSDUH = National Survey of Drug Use and Health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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