The Effects of Mass Media Photographs on Drug-Related Stigma

Not Applicable

Completed

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

• Registration Number: NCT06743178
• Lead Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Brief Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2024-03-20
• Primary Completion: 2024-04-08
• Study Completion: 2024-04-08
• Status Verified: 2024-12
• Study First Submitted: 2024-12-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-12-16
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-12-16
• Study First Posted: 2024-12-19
• Last Update Posted: 2024-12-19

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 3570

Inclusion Criteria

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

Exclusion Criteria

• not able to complete experiment and survey in English

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Angry)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of feeling angry at the present moment. Item from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating "not at all" and 5 indicating "extremely" their feeling angry at the present moment.
Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Sympathy)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of feeling sympathy at the present moment. Item from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating "not at all" and 5 indicating "extremely" their feeling sympathy at the present moment.
Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Disgust)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of feeling disgust at the present moment. Item from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating "not at all" and 5 indicating "extremely" their feeling disgust at the present moment.
Positive and Negative Affect Scale (Pity)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of feeling pity at the present moment. Item from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating "not at all" and 5 indicating "extremely" their feeling pity at the present moment.
Social Distance Scale (Family)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have person with substance use disorder marry into their family. Item from the Social Distance Scale that measures one element of stigma (desire for social distance). Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness to have a person with a substance use disorder marry into the family.
Social Distance Scale (Neighbor)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have person with substance use disorder as a neighbor. Item from the Social Distance Scale that measures one element of stigma (desire for social distance). Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness to have a person with a substance use disorder as a neighbor.
Social Distance Scale (Work Closely)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have person with substance use disorder work closely with them. Item from the Social Distance Scale that measures one element of stigma (desire for social distance). Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness to have a person with a substance use disorder work closely with them.
Social Distance Scale (close friend)	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have person with substance use disorder as a close personal friend. Item from the Social Distance Scale that measures one element of stigma (desire for social distance). Measured on 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness to have a person with a substance use disorder as a close personal friend.
Feeling-Thermometer measure of warmth towards people with substance use disorders	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of warmth felt toward people with substance use disorder with 0 indicating extremely cold and 100 indicating extremely warm.
Rating of agreement that recovery is possible	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of agreement with statement "Recovery from a drug addiction is possible" on a 5-point Likert scale with 1 indicating strongly agree and 5 indicating strongly disagree.
Rating of willingness to have a drug treatment program in their neighborhood	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have a drug treatment program in their neighborhood with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness. Measured via survey questionnaire.
Rating of willingness to have a syringe exchange program in their neighborhood	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Rating of willingness to have a syringe exchange program in their neighborhood with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness.
Rating of willingness to have a safe consumption site in their neighborhood	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Participant's rating of willingness to have a safe consumption site in their neighborhood with 1 indicating greater willingness and 5 indicating greater unwillingness.
Number of participants having a family member with a substance use disorder	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Personal experience of having a family member with a substance use disorder. Three close-ended response options (Yes, No, Don't know) when asked if the participant has ever had a family member with a substance use disorder.
Number of participants having a close friend with a substance use disorder	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Personal experience of having a close friend with a substance use disorder. Three close-ended response options (Yes, No, Don't know) when asked if the participant has ever had a close friend with a substance use disorder.
Number of participants having substance use disorder	Immediately post-exposure to photo intervention	Personal experience of having a substance use disorder. Three close-ended response options (Yes; No; Don't Know) when asked if the participant has ever had a substance use disorder. Measured via survey questionnaire.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; 🇺🇸 Baltimore, Maryland, United States