Sumnall H R, Atkinson A M, Trayner K M A, Gage S H, McAuley A
Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Int J Drug Policy. 2020 Sep;83:102855. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102855. Epub 2020 Jul 18.
There is evidence to suggest that medically supervised drug consumption rooms (DCRs) may form part of responses to reduce drug-related harm. Although DCRs have been established globally, they are perceived by some to be a controversial approach in the UK, and Government has repeatedly rejected proposals to establish one in Glasgow, Scotland. As public support is an important component of policy development and enactment, we sought to investigate the effects of different types of message framing on public support for DCR.
We undertook a cross-sectional online study with a randomised design, conducted with a nationally representative sample. Participants were randomised to one of six message conditions comprising combinations of four components. All conditions included i) a basic description of a DCR, and conditions included combinations of ii) factual information; iii) pre-emptive refutation of common public concerns about DCR; and/or iv) a sympathetic narrative describing a mother whose son died from a heroin overdose. After reading each message, participants completed a bespoke measure assessing support for DCR. Data were analysed using ANCOVA.
Complete data were obtained from 1591 participants (50.3% Female; mean age 44.9 ± 16.1 years). Compared to reading a basic description of DCR alone, there was greater support for DCR in participants receiving the refutation (p < .001); sympathetic + factual (p < .05); and sympathetic + factual + refutation (p < .001) message conditions. Presenting factual or sympathetic messages alone were not associated with increased support.
Our findings suggest that public support for DCRs is not improved through communication of factual statements outlining potential benefits of the intervention alone. Advocates seeking to foster public support, and thus influence policy making, should also consider communication campaigns that address common concerns that the public might have about DCRs, and present the intervention in relation to potential benefits that they hold for people indirectly affected by drug-related harm.
有证据表明，在医疗监督下的药物消费室（DCRs）可能是减少药物相关危害应对措施的一部分。尽管DCRs已在全球范围内建立，但在英国，它们被一些人视为一种有争议的方法，政府多次拒绝在苏格兰格拉斯哥设立一个DCR的提议。由于公众支持是政策制定和实施的重要组成部分，我们试图研究不同类型的信息框架对公众对DCR支持的影响。
我们进行了一项随机设计的横断面在线研究，样本具有全国代表性。参与者被随机分配到六个信息条件之一，这些条件由四个组成部分的组合构成。所有条件都包括：i）DCR的基本描述，其他条件包括ii）事实信息；iii）对公众对DCR常见担忧的先发制人反驳；和/或iv）一个描述儿子死于海洛因过量的母亲的同情性叙述。阅读每条信息后，参与者完成一项定制的测量，评估对DCR的支持。数据使用协方差分析进行分析。
从1591名参与者（50.3%为女性；平均年龄44.9±16.1岁）获得了完整数据。与仅阅读DCR的基本描述相比，接受反驳（p<.001）、同情+事实（p<.05）以及同情+事实+反驳（p<.001）信息条件的参与者对DCR的支持更大。仅呈现事实或同情信息与支持增加无关。
我们的研究结果表明，仅通过传达概述干预潜在益处的事实陈述并不能提高公众对DCRs的支持。寻求获得公众支持从而影响政策制定的倡导者，还应考虑开展宣传活动，解决公众对DCRs可能存在的常见担忧，并介绍该干预措施对间接受药物相关危害影响的人所具有的潜在益处。
