Stigma towards people with addiction is a well-documented problem that negatively impacts help-seeking, treatment and recovery. Social contact with people recovering from addiction can promote empathy and reduce stigma, but social contact is difficult to scale. Short, animated storytelling (SAS) is a novel health communication approach that scales easily because it can leapfrog barriers associated with language, culture, literacy and education levels. This study will investigate if a SAS video intervention can be used to reduce stigma, boost optimism and hope, and increasing empathy towards people with addiction. The study will also explore mechanisms of action of SAS interventions, by measuring the contribution of sound design to the effect of the intervention.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
13,397
The intervention is a short, animated storytelling video, with soundtrack, aimed at reducing addiction stigma.
Stanford University
Stanford, California, United States
Change in Addiction Stigma Scale Score as measured by the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ)
Participants complete an 18-item shortened version of the validated AQ. The AQ-18 will be scored along a 9-point Likert scale indicating the extent to which participants agree with the item ranging from "not at all" to "very much" with a maximum score of 27 for each 3-item construct. Higher scores indicate greater stigma.
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention on Day 1 and after two weeks
Change in Optimism Scale Score
Participants complete the Brief García's Interactive Optimism Scale (BIOS-G). The BIOS-G is an instrument designed to assess an individual's level of general optimism towards their life and other people. The scale includes 4 statements for which respondents indicate their level of agreement from 1 ("Of course not") to 4 ("Yes, of course"). Higher scores indicate a greater level of optimism.
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention on Day 1 and after two weeks
Change in Attitude Thermometer Score
Participants will indicate their warmth towards subject using a self-report stigma thermometer. Using a scale scores from zero to 100, with higher scores indicating more empathy or more favorable attitudes.
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention on Day 1 and after two weeks
Change in Levels of Hope using a visual analogue scale (VAS)
Participants self-report levels of hope using a VAS, a longstanding, validated tool for assessing related constructs of stress and subjective well-being. The scale goes from zero to 100 and higher scores indicate higher levels of hope.
Time frame: Immediately post-intervention on Day 1 and after two weeks
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