"They are notoriously not very honest": provider-based stigma and the challenge of integrated care for women experiencing IPV and OUD

Purpose: A growing literature has documented the frequent co-occurrence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women, with IPV victimization prevalence among women with OUD estimated between 44 and 90%. Prior research has identified significant barriers to care for wo...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: McLean, Katherine (Author) ; Wentling, Richard (Author) ; Rakhmatullaev, Bobur (Author) ; Schachte, Elizabeth (Author) ; Morrison, Penelope (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2026
In: Journal of family violence
Year: 2026, Volume: 41, Issue: 1, Pages: 17-29
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Keywords:
co-occurring disorders
Intimate Partner Violence
Medical-legal partnerships
Opioid use disorder
Stigma
Description
Summary:Purpose: A growing literature has documented the frequent co-occurrence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and intimate partner violence (IPV) among women, with IPV victimization prevalence among women with OUD estimated between 44 and 90%. Prior research has identified significant barriers to care for women dealing with IPV or OUD in isolation - barriers that may be further amplified by co-morbidity. Methods: Recruiting a diverse cross-section of professionals (n = 39) who serve women with co-occurring IPV/OUD, this project used semi-structured interviews to describe the unique impediments to engaging and retaining this population within relevant programming, including health care, housing, IPV, and substance use services. Results: Stigma against both women experiencing IPV and people who use opioids (PWUO) was cited as a major barrier by participants, who described the ways in which stigma deterred service-seeking, service enrollment, and long-term retention. At the same time, many providers expressed stigmatizing attitudes toward women with co-occurring IPV/OUD, characterizing them as blameworthy, dangerous, and incapable of, or unwilling to, change. Conclusion: Provider-based stigma is prevalent, yet maybe be largely unacknowledged, among professionals who serve women with co-occurring IPV/OUD. Medical-legal partnerships that integrate care for this population, putting OUD and IPV providers in direct collaboration, may mitigate provider-based stigma.
Item Description:Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 26-29
ISSN:1573-2851
DOI:10.1007/s10896-024-00751-7