Stigma and Discrimination against Methamphetamine Use among General Population, Government Service Providers, Methamphetamine Users and Their Family: a Case Study in Hankha District of Chainat Province, Thailand

Abstract

This research is cross-sectional descriptive research. The objective was to study the stigma and discrimination in drug users among general population in the community, government service providers, methamphetamine users and their families. The sample size was 950, which included random sampling of 396 general population, 126 hospital personnel, and 113 family members of drug users aged between 18 and 65 years old; purposive samplings of 202 community health workers, 21 law enforcement officers, 92 community leaders; and systematic sampling of 113 methamphetamine users. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data between January and March 2016. The data were analysed by using percentage, standard deviation and t-test. The results revealed that a group of the law enforcement officers stigmatized and discriminated against drug users more than those of the public health service providers, people in community, methamphetamine users and their family members. Stigma and discrimination against drug users were found to be associated with the following factors: (1) sex: higher level of stigma and discrimination was observed in female general population and male drugsers; (2) education: family member of drug users with secondary education or higher had expressed higher stigma and discrimination towards methamphetamine users; (3)behaviour of drinking and smoking: non-smokers had expressed higher stigma and discrimination. In conclusion, significant factors that influenced stigma and discrimination against methamphetamine users were age and education. There were still stigma and discrimination against the drug users among law enforcement officers. Therefore, effective programs should be implemented to encourage people to think positively in order to decrease stigma and discrimination associated with methamphetamine use. In additioon, access to health service and therapeutic care for methamphetamine users and their families should be promoted in order to improve their quality of life.