Negative Impacts of Self-Stigma on the Quality of Life of Patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment: The Mediated Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Functioning

A sample of heroin users ( = 250) in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was used in this cross-sectional study to clarify the mechanisms of the effects of stigma on quality of life (QoL) through psychological distress and social functioning. All the participants had their self-stigma, psychologic...

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Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2019-04, Vol.16 (7), p.1299
Main Authors: Cheng, Ching-Ming, Chang, Chih-Cheng, Wang, Jung-Der, Chang, Kun-Chia, Ting, Shuo-Yen, Lin, Chung-Ying
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cross-Sectional Studies
Drug use
Female
Hepatitis
Heroin
Heroin Dependence - psychology
Heroin Dependence - therapy
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Male
Mental disorders
Mental health care
Methadone
Methadone - therapeutic use
Middle Aged
Minority & ethnic groups
Narcotics
Opiate Substitution Treatment - psychology
Opioids
Population
Psychosis
Quality of life
Quality of Life - psychology
Questionnaires
Schizophrenia
Self Concept
Social Stigma
Stigma
Stress, Psychological
Structural equation modeling
Studies
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Summary:A sample of heroin users ( = 250) in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was used in this cross-sectional study to clarify the mechanisms of the effects of stigma on quality of life (QoL) through psychological distress and social functioning. All the participants had their self-stigma, psychological distress, social functioning, and QoL measured. Psychological distress and social functioning were proposed to be mediators between self-stigma and QoL. Several linear models using structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the mediated effects. The negative effects of self-stigma on QoL were significantly mediated by psychological distress, as self-stigma directly and significantly influenced psychological distress, but not social functioning. This study demonstrated a linear model describing the effects of self-stigma on QoL for opioid-dependent individuals; psychological distress was also an important mediator between self-stigma and their QoL. Clinicians were able to notice the importance of reducing self-stigma for opioid-dependent individuals according to the following results: higher levels of self-stigma were associated with high psychological distress, decreased social functioning, and impaired QoL. Our mediation findings suggest that treating psychological distress is better than treating social functioning if we want to eliminate the effects of self-stigma on QoL for heroin users.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph16071299