Perceptions of substance use disorder in rural areas: how the brain disease model impacts public stigma

• Published in: BMC public health 2024-12, Vol.24 (1), p.3531-10, Article 3531
• Main Authors: Miller, Erin E, Schweitzer, Sarah, Ahmed, Patricia, Robbins, Christopher, Lanzillotta-Rangeley, Jennifer, Hunt, Aaron
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis; Brain disease model; Brain diseases; Care and treatment; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ohio; Public health; Risk factors; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Social Stigma; South Dakota; Stigma; Stigma (Social psychology); Substance abuse; Substance use disorder; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1471-2458; 1471-2458
• DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20682-8

Rural communities are disproportionately affected by substance use disorder (SUD) and public stigma impedes access to and utilization of treatment and support services. This study compares data from a 2020 study conducted in rural Ohio (N = 173) with results from a recent study conducted in South Dakota (N = 41) on publicly-held stigmatizing views of SUD. South Dakota participants were recruited at several public events across the state via convenience sampling between August 2022-February 2023 to complete a survey. Data from responses to 19 stigma-related questions were merged with the associated data from the 2020 Ohio study and a comparative analysis was performed using Fisher's exact and Chi square tests. The data shows that respondents in South Dakota, when compared to respondents in Ohio, are more likely to believe addiction is an illness (SD = 86.5%, OH = 48.5%, p