Recovery dialects: A pilot study of stigmatizing and nonstigmatizing label use by individuals in recovery from substance use disorders.

ABSTRACT: Previous research has found language used to describe individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD; e.g., "addict," "substance abuser") contributes to and elicits negative bias among the general public and health care professionals. However, the prevalence in which recovering individuals use these labels to self-identify and the impact of such labels are unknown. The current pilot study, a cross-sectional design, examined the usage of two labels ("addict," "person with a SUD") as well as the differences in recovery outcomes among individuals in recovery. Participants (n = 54) used both labels at high rates ("addict": 66.67%; "person with a SUD": 38.89%), though mutually exclusive use was lower ("addict" only: 35.19%, "person with a SUD" only: 7.5%). Common label use settings inclu

SUBMITTER: Ashford RD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7478190 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature