School of Health Sciences, Mae Fah Luang University, 333 Moo 1, Ta Sud Subdistrict, Muang District, Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Province, 57100, Thailand.
Center of Excellence for Hill Tribe Health Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand.
BMC Public Health. 2022 Apr 2;22(1):642. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-13094-z.
The stigma related to drug use has several impacts, including effects on users' physical and mental health. Methamphetamine is a major drug that is used among hill tribes living in the border areas of Thailand and Myanmar. This study aimed to understand the drivers, facilitators, sources and outcomes of the stigma surrounding drug use, including the expectations among Akha and Lau hill tribe people who use methamphetamine in Thailand.
Qualitative data were used to elicit information from key informants and members of the hill tribes who used methamphetamine. The questionnaire was developed from a literature review and tested for validity before use. In-depth interviews were used to confidentially gather information from the participants in private rooms in villages. Each interview lasted 45 min, and a thematic analysis was conducted to examine the findings.
A total of 46 participants were recruited to provide information; 95.7% were male, and 50.0% were aged 15-34 years. The majority were married (47.8%), 76.1% were Christian, and 45.7% graduated high school. Six drivers of stigma were detected: being poor, illiterate, unemployed, working aged, female, and married. Culture and tribe acted as facilitators of the stigma attached to methamphetamine use. Four sources of stigma were found: self, family members, peers, and community members. Three outcomes of stigma were determined: poor physical health, mental health, and relationships with others. There were four levels of expectations: no expectations, expectations for themselves, expectations for their family members, and expectations for their community members.
Many personal traits, people living nearby, and socioeconomic factors, including culture and tribes, act as drivers, facilitators, and sources of stigma among hill tribe people who use methamphetamine. A program to reduce methamphetamine use among hill tribes should be implemented, which could eventually minimize stigma.
与吸毒相关的污名有几个方面的影响,包括对使用者身心健康的影响。冰毒是泰国和缅甸边境地区山地部落居民使用的主要毒品。本研究旨在了解与吸毒相关的污名的驱动因素、促成因素、来源和后果,包括在泰国使用冰毒的阿卡族和拉祜族山地部落居民的期望。
使用定性数据从使用冰毒的关键知情者和山地部落成员那里获取信息。问卷是根据文献综述制定的,并在使用前进行了有效性测试。深入访谈用于在村庄的私人房间中对参与者进行保密信息收集。每次访谈持续 45 分钟,并进行主题分析以检查研究结果。
共招募了 46 名参与者提供信息;95.7%为男性,50.0%年龄在 15-34 岁之间。大多数已婚(47.8%),76.1%是基督教徒,45.7%高中毕业。发现了 6 个污名的驱动因素:贫穷、文盲、失业、工作年龄、女性和已婚。文化和部落是冰毒使用污名的促成因素。发现了 4 个污名的来源:自身、家庭成员、同伴和社区成员。确定了污名的 3 个后果:身体健康状况差、心理健康状况差和与他人的关系差。有四个期望水平:无期望、对自己的期望、对家庭成员的期望和对社区成员的期望。
许多个人特质、附近的人以及包括文化和部落在内的社会经济因素是山地部落使用冰毒者污名的驱动因素、促成因素和来源。应该实施一个减少山地部落冰毒使用的项目,这最终可能会减少污名。