UGA Study Finds 1,600 Southern Respondents Show Mental Health Workers Stigmatize Opioid Users Most
Updated
Updated · University of Georgia · Aug 7
UGA Study Finds 1,600 Southern Respondents Show Mental Health Workers Stigmatize Opioid Users Most
3 articles · Updated · University of Georgia · Aug 7
Summary
Mental health workers in a University of Georgia study showed stronger stigmatizing views toward people with opioid addiction than the general population, with first responders also scoring high.
The survey of 1,600 people across 13 Southern states found more agreement with statements blaming opioid users, judging them negatively, or dismissing methadone as replacing one addiction with another.
Those attitudes can affect care by making providers less likely to prescribe addiction medications or creating a barrier that keeps patients from seeking treatment in the first place.
More than 82,000 people died of opioid overdoses in 2024, and researchers said added training such as Mental Health First Aid could help workers respond with less judgment and better support.