Investigation of the impact of Latine ethnicity on substance use self-stigma

Under the direction of Dr. Caroline E. MannSelf-stigma is a form of internal stigmatization, which can deter people with mental illness from seeking treatment. While previous research explored levels of self-stigma among individuals with substance use issues, few studies have examined the impact of ethnicity on self-stigma. More research is needed on self-stigma in Latines who use substances in order to understand stigma’s interaction with socio-cultural and individual factors. For the present study, the Simple Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse and the SASSS (Luoma et al., 2012), SSMIS-SF (Corrigan et al., 2012), and Internalized Stigma Scale (Link et al., 2015) were translated into Spanish and administered to 22 participants at an outpatient substance abuse facility. Results will compare participants’ levels of self stigma with scores from previous research. We will also examine relationships between substance use symptoms and components of stigma (i.e. shame, avoidance).