Stigma and efficacy beliefs regarding opioid use disorder treatment and naloxone in communities participating in the HEALing Communities Study intervention.

BACKGROUND

The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) included health campaigns as part of a community-engaged intervention to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths in 67 highly impacted communities across Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Five campaigns were developed with community input to provide information on opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose prevention, reduce stigma, and build demand for evidence-based practices (EBPs). An evaluation examined the recognition of campaign messages about naloxone and whether stigma and efficacy beliefs regarding OUD treatment and naloxone changed in HCS intervention communities.

METHODS

Data were collected through surveys offered on Facebook/Instagram to members of communities participating in the HCS intervention and wait-list control communities.

RESULTS

Participants in HCS intervention communities reported a reduction in stigma regarding OUD and increased efficacy beliefs regarding naloxone associated with recognition of campaign messages. However, this finding is cautiously interpreted as there was no clear evidence for recognition differences between the treatment/control conditions.

CONCLUSION

Study findings indicate associations between campaign message recognition and positive outcomes. Results also highlight possible challenges concerning evaluations of social media campaigns using conventional evaluation techniques.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04111939.