Individuals experiencing ongoing substance-related issues have worse health and social outcomes than the general population, and often have greater healthcare needs. People who use substances may require access to care and support from health and social systems, especially given the frequent comorbidity of substance use and mental health conditions. Social stigma, however, can result in feelings of shame and isolation, which can cause people to hide their substance use, to use alone, and to be less likely to seek out help or treatment and use harm-reduction services. Given the pervasive nature of the problem, coupled with the importance of addressing such stigma, this rapid synthesis was requested by the British Columbia Ministry of Mental Health to consider strategies for addressing stigma associated with substance use.
