Survey experiment to estimate drivers of stigma toward people with alcohol use disorder
Despite significant advances in scientific understanding of substance use disorders accompanied by significant advances in treatment and improvements in prognosis, substance use disorder remains highly stigmatized throughout the world. Previous studies suggest that portraying alcohol use disorder as treatable can reduce negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of exposing study participants to vignettes portraying persons with untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder vs. treated alcohol use disorder with complete response vs. treated alcohol use disorder with relapse, with and without adverse economic impacts. It is hypothesized, based on prior work, that study participants exposed to vignettes depicting treated alcohol use disorder with completed response would have the greatest effect on reducing negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder, followed by treated alcohol use disorder with relapse and untreated and symptomatic alcohol use disorder, and that adverse economic impacts will exacerbate negative attitudes toward persons with alcohol use disorder.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
1,363
Each version of the questionnaire portrays a young Ugandan man with different profiles of illness severity, treatment, and treatment response.
Mbarara University of Science and Technology
Mbarara, Uganda
Social Distance
Willingness to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into the study participant's family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)
Perceived Norms about Social Distance
Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people would be willing to have the man portrayed in the vignette to marry into their families (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)
Negative Attitudes (Attribution)
Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)
Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Attribution)
Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette represent divine punishment (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)
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Negative Attitudes (Shame)
Personal belief that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options yes/no)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)
Perceived Norms about Negative Attitudes (Shame)
Study participant's perception of the extent to which other people believe that the symptoms of the man portrayed in the vignette bring shame upon his family (single item, culturally adapted instrument developed specifically for this study; response options on a Likert-type scale: 1=all or almost all; 2=more than half but less than all; 3=fewer than half but more than no one; 4=very few or no one)
Time frame: Baseline (The experimental manipulation in this study has to do with which version of the survey the study participant receives, so the time frame for assessment is immediate)