Challenging public stigma: the impact of a statewide social media campaign to reduce opioid use disorder stigma

Background: Opioid-related stigma can affect the health and recovery of individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD). As such, campaigns to reduce stigma are needed. We evaluated Life Unites Us (LUU), a comprehensive social media campaign to reduce public stigma of opioids and those who use them, 12 months after campaign launch. Methods: A cross-sectional web survey of 1,045 people was used to assess differences in public stigma by exposure to LUU. Survey items focused on public OUD stigma and were divided into three subscales: desire for social distance, treatment availability and effectiveness, and general attitudes. Results: Controlling for relevant covariates (i.e. gender, political ideology, education level, race), individuals exposed to LUU endorsed less stigma in the desire for social distance and treatment subscales. There were no significant differences in stigma for the general attitudes subscale. Those who identified as more politically conservative held more stigma across all subscales than those who identified as less politically conservative. Females reported less treatment and general OUD stigma than males. Conclusions: Findings suggest that comprehensive social media campaigns that foster connections, educate the public, and advocate for community-level change may positively influence public attitudes toward individuals with OUD and create a more supportive environment for recovery.