Learning From the Lived Experiences of People With Opioid Use Disorder: A Pilot Study of the Impact on Students' Stigma Perceptions and Attitudes.

BACKGROUND Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a national public health crisis causing more than 130 daily deaths and costing over $78 billion annually. Medication-assisted treatment is one of the available treatments for OUD. However, stigma associated with opioid use is a main barrier to patients' access to treatment and recovery. It is critical to address OUD-related stigma and its impact on interdisciplinary undergraduate students' knowledge and attitudes. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the impact of a recovery-oriented educational intervention highlighting individuals who have lived experiences with OUD to address OUD-related stigma among undergraduate students. METHODS A pretest-posttest design was utilized. Before and after this intervention, students received a questionnaire derived from three established tools related to exposure, personal stigma, and perceptions of public stigma toward opioids and people who use them. These categories were also assessed qualitatively using open-ended questions. RESULTS Nine students completed the pretest and posttest. Overall, there were small positive changes in students' personal stigma and public stigma perceptions. Students displayed prior knowledge and exposure to people with OUD through clinical experience, personal relationships, and the media. CONCLUSION Further studies should evaluate the impact of learning from the lived experiences of individuals with OUD on larger undergraduate student populations with the goal of incorporating these educational interventions utilizing lived experiences in college-level curriculum.