Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series
Abstract Background Opioid-related overdose deaths have risen sharply among young adults. Despite this increase, access to evidence-based medication for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for youth remains low. Among older adults, barriers to OAT include the paucity of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-05-01
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| Series: | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-018-0116-2 |
| _version_ | 1819147148656115712 |
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| author | Scott E. Hadland Tae Woo Park Sarah M. Bagley |
| author_facet | Scott E. Hadland Tae Woo Park Sarah M. Bagley |
| author_sort | Scott E. Hadland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Opioid-related overdose deaths have risen sharply among young adults. Despite this increase, access to evidence-based medication for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for youth remains low. Among older adults, barriers to OAT include the paucity of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers and low rates of prescribing among waivered physicians. We have increasingly found in our clinical practice significant stigma related to using OAT to treat addiction for young adults. In this series, we describe three cases of young adults who faced significant stigma related to their treatment. Case presentations The first case is a young male with a history of significant trauma and a severe opioid use disorder. He started buprenorphine and has found a job, stayed abstinent, and began a healthy relationship. At each step in his recovery, he has faced resistance to taking medication from other treatment providers, directors of sober houses, and his parents. The second case is a young woman who presented to a substance use treatment program after a relapse. She was unable to restart buprenorphine despite our calling to ask that it be restarted. Ultimately, she left against medical advice and was stabilized as an outpatient on buprenorphine. The final case is a young woman who stopped buprenorphine after being told she was “not sober” while attending 12-step group but restarted after conversations with her clinical team. In each case, the patient has continued their medication treatment and are stable. Conclusions Opioid-related deaths continue to rise among all age groups, including young adults. Stigma related to medication treatment can be a substantial barrier for many young adult patients but there are concrete steps that providers and communities can take to address this stigma. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:25:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8c54a002a364df7ba4885c5d5bc9005 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1940-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:25:13Z |
| publishDate | 2018-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8c54a002a364df7ba4885c5d5bc90052022-12-21T18:24:21ZengBMCAddiction Science & Clinical Practice1940-06402018-05-011311410.1186/s13722-018-0116-2Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case seriesScott E. Hadland0Tae Woo Park1Sarah M. Bagley2Division of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical CenterDepartment of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical CenterDivision of General Academic Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical CenterAbstract Background Opioid-related overdose deaths have risen sharply among young adults. Despite this increase, access to evidence-based medication for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for youth remains low. Among older adults, barriers to OAT include the paucity of buprenorphine-waivered prescribers and low rates of prescribing among waivered physicians. We have increasingly found in our clinical practice significant stigma related to using OAT to treat addiction for young adults. In this series, we describe three cases of young adults who faced significant stigma related to their treatment. Case presentations The first case is a young male with a history of significant trauma and a severe opioid use disorder. He started buprenorphine and has found a job, stayed abstinent, and began a healthy relationship. At each step in his recovery, he has faced resistance to taking medication from other treatment providers, directors of sober houses, and his parents. The second case is a young woman who presented to a substance use treatment program after a relapse. She was unable to restart buprenorphine despite our calling to ask that it be restarted. Ultimately, she left against medical advice and was stabilized as an outpatient on buprenorphine. The final case is a young woman who stopped buprenorphine after being told she was “not sober” while attending 12-step group but restarted after conversations with her clinical team. In each case, the patient has continued their medication treatment and are stable. Conclusions Opioid-related deaths continue to rise among all age groups, including young adults. Stigma related to medication treatment can be a substantial barrier for many young adult patients but there are concrete steps that providers and communities can take to address this stigma.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-018-0116-2StigmaMedication treatmentYoung adults |
| spellingShingle | Scott E. Hadland Tae Woo Park Sarah M. Bagley Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series Addiction Science & Clinical Practice Stigma Medication treatment Young adults |
| title | Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series |
| title_full | Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series |
| title_fullStr | Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series |
| title_short | Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: a case series |
| title_sort | stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder a case series |
| topic | Stigma Medication treatment Young adults |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13722-018-0116-2 |
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