Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, substance use disorder remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying alcohol use disorder as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder vs. treated alcohol use disorder with complete response vs. treated alcohol use disorder with relapse, with and without adverse economic impacts. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated alcohol use disorder with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder, followed by treated alcohol use disorder with relapse and untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder, and that adverse economic impacts will exacerbate negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder.
Survey experiment to estimate drivers of stigma toward people with alcohol use disorder