A Preliminary Assessment of Stigma in Law Enforcement Officers’ Responses to Opioid Overdoses

Prior work has suggested that provider-based stigma of substance use disorders may be one barrier to fighting the opioid epidemic. However, to date, provider-based stigma has been afforded little attention in the context of the criminal justice system. The goal of the current study was to extend thi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kruis, Nathan E. (Author)
Contributors: Merlo, Alida V.
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Journal of drug issues
Year: 2021, Volume: 51, Issue: 2, Pages: 301-322
Online Access: Volltext (Resolving-System)
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Keywords:
police perceptions and willingness to help
stigma and responses to drug users
Description
Summary:Prior work has suggested that provider-based stigma of substance use disorders may be one barrier to fighting the opioid epidemic. However, to date, provider-based stigma has been afforded little attention in the context of the criminal justice system. The goal of the current study was to extend this line of research by examining the impact of provider-based stigma toward opioid using persons to beliefs about help that should be provided to persons experiencing an overdose among a sample of 208 police officers working in departments in the Northeastern Region of the United States. In addition, this study explores the relationship between provider-based stigma and the anticipated on-duty behavioral responses to opioid overdoses. Results from multivariable analyses indicate that certain dimensions of social stigma are significantly related to officers’ perceptions of help in varying directions, along with officers’ experiences with naloxone administration and departmental policy pertaining to the use of naloxone.
ISSN:1945-1369
DOI:10.1177/0022042620974076