Introduction
Social marginalization and stigmatization of disadvantaged communities is a widespread social problem. One of the groups that frequently face social pressure is people with illicit substance addictions. It can significantly affect the already poor mental and physical well-being of afflicted individuals. Hence, it is essential to identify how condemnation affects drug abusers and how this information can be proven and used to improve the lives of these people.
Literature Review
Firstly, it is essential to identify previous studies on the effects of stigmatization on the lives of drug addicts. According to the definition made by Merriam-Webster, stigma is a sign of shame and disgrace (Khalid et al., 2020). A person with a particular trait may be stigmatized as a result of the attitudes of others. Due to stigma, drug misuse has serious social and moral ramifications, even when a person is receiving treatment. Due to the stigma’s detrimental effects on drug users, such as difficulties finding employment, interpersonal rejection, self-devaluing ideas, or avoidance of intimate relationships, the stigma becomes significant.
According to research on the effects of stigma, 6% of participants had their access to housing, 16% to medical care, and 24% to salaries reduced as a result of a history of drug misuse. A survey found that 28.4% of healthcare personnel, 18.9% of coworkers, 21.6% of others, and 31% of patients experienced condemnation. According to a study done in Nevada, drug users encounter unfair treatment (60%) and familial rejection (45%) (Khalid et al., 2020). Hence, stigmatization is a widespread issue that affects drug addicts in various facets of life.
Methodology
Secondly, it is essential to know how exactly the research on the effects of drug addict marginalization can be conducted. As with similar studies conducted in previous years, the research method should be a cross-sectional study that uses a random sampling technique (Khalid et al., 2020). In terms of setting, the study should take place in a psychiatry ward in a hospital, as usually, people with this affliction can be found there due to its severe impact on mental health.
Drug addicts who are receiving treatment for substance misuse should be included in the population’s inclusion criteria, ages 18 to 70. For exclusion criteria, the research should not cover uncooperative patients and tobacco and caffeine abusers (Khalid et al., 2020). Moreover, patients would require written consent to be included in the study for ethical purposes. The total number of subjects should be approximately 100 for more objective results. Hence, the research should be a cross-sectional study with random sampling among cooperative drug abusers aged 18 to 70 in a clinical psychiatry ward.
However, it is essential to elaborate on the study’s method. With all ethical and social issues considered, data will be gathered through interviews using a pretested questionnaire (Khalid et al., 2020). The five factors of stigma—labeling, isolation, bigotry, stereotyping, and status loss—interact to create stigma and should be monitored. Moreover, types of stigma should be considered by the research as well. Perceived stigma is the notion that certain characteristics will always be connected to a specific group.
The term “self-stigma” refers to the evil thoughts a stigmatized person has about themselves, which can lead to low self-esteem and lack of confidence and can deteriorate a person’s morale, physical health, and mental well-being. The type of stigma known as “enacted stigma” is the kind that a recipient regularly experiences, including interpersonal rejection, exclusion, and social discrimination (Khalid et al., 2020). Moreover, socioeconomic status and the substance that a subject is abusing should be taken into account. Thus, the research will be done through questionnaires that will track 5 variables: three types of stigma, socioeconomic standing, and the abused substance.
Data Analysis Process
Another factor to consider is how the collected data will be analyzed. Based on the results of the questionnaires, the researchers will be able to track how the patients are stigmatized both in their daily lives and in the hospital. A person is prone to enacted stigma, for instance, if they answer that they frequently receive unfavorable remarks from others, are viewed as incapable, and are shunned by others (Khalid et al., 2020). Or, if they report that they earn less than $ 150$ a month and are denied specific jobs, this may also be a sign of societal stigma. Hence, the analysis of the findings should catalog all the data according to the types of marginalization attributed to each question and reveal how prevalent and severe it is.
Application of Research Design to Problem Solving
This research can help in understanding and fighting the stigmatization of drug addicts in several ways. Firstly, it will lay the ground for further research by other parties, which can be done with different demographics, regions, and settings. This will help broaden the knowledge on how marginalization of these groups occurs and how to combat it. Moreover, as this research will only study the effects of stigma, other parties can use its results to investigate further what societal and economic problems may solve the addiction itself.
Furthermore, knowing how the mistreatment of society makes drug addicts feel can drive medical institutions to create a more approachable and holistic atmosphere while treating them. This may also apply to the establishment, as these findings may encourage them to create more drug addict-friendly policies. Hence, the research can help the problem by encouraging future research and policy changes in governmental and medical institutions.
Conclusion
Hence, the problem of the marginalization of substance abusers is widespread and multifaceted. It negatively affects the lives of people with an addiction, resulting in mental, medical, and financial problems. However, research can be conducted to inform the scientific and medical societies of the daily struggles of these groups. This can be done in a hospital setting among the drug addict patients of a psychiatry ward, where they will pass a survey on how stigmatization affects their lives. The survey will track their responses according to 5 metrics and three variations of stigma, as well as income and drug type they are using. The findings can later be used by the government and clinics to hopefully improve the already complicated lives of those who cannot stop using illicit substances.
Reference
Khalid, F., Jaan, A., Aslam, M. M. S., Ahmed, Z., Raheem, A., Bodla, Z. H., Basit, A., Hussain, B., Iftikhar, A., Tayyeb,M., Khalid, A., & Rehman, U. (2020) Social stigmatization of drug abusers in a developing country: A cross-sectional study. Cureus, 12(9), 1-7. Web.