Document Type
Article
Author ORCID Identifier
Sydney O'Shay https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-4561
Emily Pasman https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2634-7902
Danielle L. Hicks https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1870-9822
Stella M. Resko https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3323-0190
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Journal of Family Communication
Volume
23
Issue
2
Publisher
Routledge
Publication Date
3-9-2023
First Page
89
Last Page
106
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
Opioid misuse is a prevalent health problem in the United States with consequences extending past the person who misuses opioids to affected family members (AFM) through courtesy stigma. The goals of this study were to understand the stigma management communication (SMC) strategies employed by AFMs when they experience courtesy stigma and changes in strategies used over time. The findings from interviews with 34 AFMs suggest the SMC strategies they employ range from those that indicate acceptance of stigma and avoidance of stigma situations to strategies where AFMs actively challenge opioid misuse stigma. However, strategy use depended on the social context and AFMs’ perceptions of opioid misuse stigma at a given moment in time. Further, findings suggest changes in AFMs’ SMC strategies over time are related to changes in their perceptions of opioid misuse stigma. Theoretical and practical implications of how families manage stigma are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Sydney O’Shay, Emily Pasman, Danielle L. Hicks, Suzanne Brown, Elizabeth Aguis & Stella M. Resko (2023) Affected Family Members’ Communicative Management of Opioid Misuse Stigma: Applying and Rethinking the Stigma Management Communication Typology, Journal of Family Communication, 23:2, 89-106, DOI: 10.1080/15267431.2023.2186882