Supervisors info:
Παπαρρηγόπουλος Θωμάς, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπων
Μαλλιώρη Μινέρβα-Μελπομένη, Ομότιμη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Τζαβέλλας Ηλίας, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
There is limited research in Greece investigating the attitudes of healthcare providers towards people with substance use disorders.
Purpose: The present research aimed at investigating the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards people with substance use disorders who contact Health Services in Greece.
Material and Method: This is a cross-sectional study held in Athens, Alexandroupolis, Mytilene and Volos. A convenience sample of 122 (21, 3% males, 78, 7% females) healthcare professionals was assessed. 47.9% worked in specialized rehabilitation units and 52.1% in general hospital emergency wards. Regarding their profession, 21% were doctors, 46.7% nurses, 15.6% psychologists and 16.4% were social workers. For the assessment a 60-item self-administered questionnaire, which combines three measurement tools [DDPPQ (Drug and Drugs Problem Perception Questionnaire), ΑΒΙ (Addiction Belief Inventory), demographic questionnaire], was used.
Results: Healthcare professionals working in general hospital settings report more negative attitudes towards people with substance use disorders than their colleagues working in drug rehabilitation services (p =, 001). Regarding their beliefs, healthcare professionals working in general hospitals endorse more the opinion that the addict is unable to control himself (p =, 042), that addiction is a chronic disease (p =, 020), and that substance use represents a moral weakness (p =, 044), than the group of carers who work in drug rehabilitation services. Linear regression analysis showed that predictors of positive attitudes are work in drug rehabilitation and training in addictology, whereas for moral judgements leading to stigmatizing attitudes is training in addictology.
Conclusions: The results of the present study show that staff perceptions for people with substance use disorders and their beliefs about addiction are influenced by various sociodemographic factors, such as gender, age, occupation, training in addictology and work years in the field. The most important parameter affecting negative attitudes is work in drug rehabilitation services and training in addictology, whereas for the belief of moral weakness of drug addicts is training in addictology.
The present research confirms the prevailing stigma reduction approaches: training and contact that help change negative judgments and stigmatizing perceptions.
Keywords:
Attitudes, Perceptions / beliefs, Healthcare professionals, Substance use, Stigma
