title: Comparing stigmatising attitudes towards people with substance use disorders between the general public, GPs, mental health and addiction specialists and clients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance use disorders (SUDs) are among the most severely stigmatised conditions; however, little is known about the nature of these stigmatising attitudes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare stigmatising attitudes towards persons with SUDs among different stakeholders: general public, general practitioners (GPs), mental health and addiction specialists, and clients in treatment for substance abuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study (N = 3,326) in which stereotypical beliefs, attribution beliefs (e.g. perceptions about controllability and responsibility for having an addiction), social distance and expectations about rehabilitation opportunities for individuals with substance use disorders were assessed and compared between stakeholders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with substance use disorders elicited great social distance across all stakeholders. Stereotypical beliefs were not different between stakeholders, whereas attribution beliefs were more diverse. Considering social distance and expectations about rehabilitation opportunities, the general public was most pessimistic, followed by GPs, mental health and addiction specialists, and clients. Stereotypical and attribution beliefs, as well as age, gender and socially desirable answering, were not associated with social distance across all stakeholders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The general public and GPs expressed more social distance and were more negative in their expectations about rehabilitation opportunities, compared to mental health and addiction specialists and clients. Although stigmatising attitudes were prevalent across all groups, no striking differences were found between stakeholders.
authors.affiliation: Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands L.vanBoekel@tilburguniversity.edu.
authors.forename: Leonieke C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: van Boekel
authors.affiliation: Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Evelien Pm
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Brouwers
authors.affiliation: Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands Phrenos Centre of Expertise, Utrecht, The Netherlands Parnassia Group, Dijk en Duin Mental Health Center, Castricum, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jaap
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Weeghel
authors.affiliation: Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henk Fl
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Garretsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D012929:Psychological Distance; D013240:Stereotyping; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Social stigma; attribution beliefs; social distance; social perception; stereotyping; substance-related disorders