Clinical medical practice and stigma towards patients with substance use disorder in an Italian sample of healthcare workers

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Abstract

Introduction. People with substance use disorder (SUD) face challenges like stigma and discrimination, impacting their healthcare experiences. Aim. This study aims to: (i) assess physicians’ clinical practices and stigma toward SUD patients among healthcare personnel and (ii) explore the relationship among stigma, psychological well-being, and burnout.
Methods. A survey covering sociodemographic data, physicians’ clinical practices, stigmatizing attitudes, psychological well-being, and burnout was completed by 1,796 employees of the Veneto’s Local Health Units (Italy).
Results. Healthcare professionals reported increased stigma towards SUDs (p-values<0.05). Stigma consistently correlated with variables such as sex, profession, department, and levels of burnout (p-values<0.05). Notably, high burnout levels were associated with increased stigma. Staff in addiction departments displayed lower stigma levels compared to other departments. No significant differences were found in physicians’
clinical practices.
Conclusions. Targeted training for healthcare professionals is crucial to reduce stigma, enhance attitudes toward SUDs, and broaden overall knowledge of the condition.

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Authors

Alice Valdesalici - Department of General Psychology, University of Padova

Diego Saccon

Elena Boatto

Amalia Manzan

Roberto Manera

Alessandro Pani

Valentina Pavani

Giancarlo Zecchinato

Vito Sava

Giovanni Greco

Sally Paganin

Marco Solmi

How to Cite
Valdesalici, A., Saccon, D., Boatto, E., Manzan, A., Manera, R., Pani, A., … Solmi, M. (2024). Clinical medical practice and stigma towards patients with substance use disorder in an Italian sample of healthcare workers. Annali dell’Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, 60(3), 197–207. https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_24_03_05
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