Authors
- Natali Mićić – Public Health Institute of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Center for Outpatient Treatment of Addiction Diseases
- Fadil Habibović – Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Clinic of Psychiatry
- Tanja Grahovac Juretić – Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Clinic of Psychiatry; University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine
- Ivana Ljubičić Bistrović – Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Clinic of Psychiatry; University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine
Article type:
Original Scientific Paper
Abstract:
Objective of the research: The main objective of the research is to determine the extent to which people in treatment for opiate addiction feel stigmatized by health professionals and other people (family, friends, media) and to determine the extent to which they feel self-stigmatized. Subjects and Methods: Participants in the survey were people treated for opiate addiction at the Treatment Center for Addiction Diseases in the Teaching Institute of Public Health PGC. The research was conducted in the period from March 15, 2019, to May 15, 2019, involving 100 participants. For the purposes of the survey, a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions with answers on a scale of 1 to 5, from 1 “I disagree completely” to 5 “I agree completely” was compiled. The collected data were statistically processed with the help of statistical software Statistica (Dell Inc, USA), and basic descriptive measurements, arithmetic mean and standard deviation were used for data display purposes. Results: The results show that opiate addicts are highly stigmatized in society. The results also show that health professionals show low empathy for these patients. Most of the friends and family support them. Self-stigmatization is less pronounced and the results indicate that they think their opinion is important and that they have expectations in life like other people. Conclusion: According to the results obtained, participants perceive the highest degree of stigmatization by society, then by health care professionals and the lowest by themselves.
Keywords:
stigma, stigmatization, addiction, opiate, addiction treatment