Work

The impact of news photographs on drug-related stigma: A randomized message testing experiment in a National Sample of US Adults

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of drug-related news photographs on public attitudes toward people who use drugs. METHODS: In this survey-embedded randomized experiment, conducted among a national sample of US adults between March and April 2024, participants were randomized to one of eight experimental groups and exposed to a drug-related photo (featuring a person injecting drugs, being revived from an overdose, receiving treatment or in recovery, or a family member of an overdose decedent) or a no-exposure control group. Logistic regression models assessed differences in stigma, emotions, and support for substance use disorder (SUD) services between each experimental group and the control group. RESULTS: Among 3461 participants, the mean age was 49 years and 51.3 % were female. Most participants (63.8 %) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3 % were non-Hispanic Black, 17.1 % were Hispanic, and 7.7 % reported another race/ethnicity. Compared to the control group, participants exposed to a photo of a person in recovery from SUD had an 8.9 percentage point (95 % CI 2.9, 14.9) greater probability of being willing to work closely with a person with SUD, with similar estimates for other stigma measures. Participants exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs had a 14.1 percentage point (95 % CI 7.7, 20.5) greater probability of expressing disgust, with a similar estimate for pity. No photo was associated with significantly greater support for services. CONCLUSIONS: Photos published by news media shape public attitudes; images of individuals recovery have the potential to counteract negative stereotypes about people with SUD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at www. CLINICALTRIALS: govNCT06743178.

Source: Preventive Medicine

DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108293

Authors: Jeffrey K. Hom, Kathryn Heley, Sachini Bandara, Alene Kennedy-Hendricks

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, San Francisco Department of Public Health

Language: English

Topic: Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650