The impact of news photographs on drug-related stigma: A randomized message testing experiment in a National Sample of US Adults.

Abstract

To measure the impact of drug-related news photographs on public attitudes toward people who use drugs. In this survey-embedded randomized experiment, conducted among a national sample of US adults between March and April 2024, participants were randomized to one of eight experimental groups and exposed to a drug-related photo (featuring a person injecting drugs, being revived from an overdose, receiving treatment or in recovery, or a family member of an overdose decedent) or a no-exposure control group. Logistic regression models assessed differences in stigma, emotions, and support for substance use disorder (SUD) services between each experimental group and the control group. Among 3461 participants, the mean age was 49 years and 51.3 % were female. Most participants (63.8 %) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3 % were non-Hispanic Black, 17.1 % were Hispanic, and 7.7 % reported another race/ethnicity. Compared to the control group, participants exposed to a photo of a person in recovery from SUD had an 8.9 percentage point (95 % CI 2.9, 14.9) greater probability of being willing to work closely with a person with SUD, with similar estimates for other stigma measures. Participants exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs had a 14.1 percentage point (95 % CI 7.7, 20.5) greater probability of expressing disgust, with a similar estimate for pity. No photo was associated with significantly greater support for services. Photos published by news media shape public attitudes; images of individuals recovery have the potential to counteract negative stereotypes about people with SUD. This study is registered at www. govNCT06743178.