The Effects of Mass Media Photographs on Drug-Related Stigma

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Opioid Use Disorder; Substance Use Disorders; Stigma, Social

Treatments: Behavioral: Photo of a person in recovery (Black); Behavioral: Photo of a person in recovery (White); Behavioral: Photo of a person injecting drugs; Behavioral: Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent; Behavioral: Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail); Behavioral: Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black); Behavioral: Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community); Behavioral: Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06743178

IRB00026173

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to drug-related photos used by the media on emotions, stigma towards people who use drugs, and public health services for this population.

Full description

This randomized experiment evaluated the impact of drug-related photographs used by the media on stigma towards people who use drugs. A nationally representative sample of US adults was randomized to view different photos used in the media (a person injecting drugs, a person being resuscitated after an overdose, a person receiving treatment, a person in recovery, or a person who had lost a family member to an overdose) and then asked questions about their feelings towards people who use drugs and their acceptance of public health services to address the overdose crisis.

Enrollment: 3,570 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• participant in existing web-based survey panel (NORC's AmeriSpeak)

Exclusion criteria

• not able to complete experiment and survey in English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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3,570 participants in 9 patient groups

No exposure control group

No Intervention group

Description:

This group was not exposed to any drug-related photo.

Photo of person injecting drugs

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a person injecting drugs

Photo of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responding to an overdose (White)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of EMS responding to a white person who had overdosed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of EMS responding to a Black person who had overdosed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person receiving methadone treatment in jail.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person receiving methadone treatment in a community setting.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Photo of a person in recovery (White)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a white person in recovery in their workplace.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a person in recovery (White)

Photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a Black person in recovery in their workplace.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Experimental group

Description:

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person who had lost a family member to an overdose.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent