Combating Stigma Associated with Opioid Use Disorders in Metropolitan Detroit

For:

Simultaneously addressing the COVID-19 and opioid epidemics sweeping the United States may threaten and further marginalize vulnerable and at-risk populations dealing with substance use disorders. Isolation, economic hardship, and barriers to accessing services, treatment, and medication are only a few challenges this community faces. Additionally, stigma and discrimination associated with drug use and lack of trust in healthcare providers discourages people in need from seeking medical care.

The Detroit Area Mental Health Leadership Team, a community-engaged research partnership with MICHR, collaborated with community-academic partners in Metropolitan Detroit to develop an advocacy brief examining the impact of stigma in cases of opioid use disorder (OUD) and recommend public health approaches to re-designing recovery services during the pandemic. It's their hope that, as we collectively work to affect change in this area, this brief will stimulate conversation and action among health care, academic, governmental, community, and funding organizations to address gaps in knowledge and care.

The advocacy brief can be accessed here.

Questions?

Contact Karen Calhoun, Community-Engaged Research Officer at MICHR. She can be reached directly at kdcalhou@umich.edu or by phone at 313.632.9932.