Table 1.

Types of Stigma

Type of Stigma	Examples	Consequences
Structural Stigma	Administrative burdens and other barriers to prescribing like needing a waiver	Patients with substance use disorder can become stigmatized as they are seen as burdensome. It can also lead to a lack of providers being willing to provide treatment.
Public Stigma	Seeing patients as drug seekers or the public believing opioid users are the cause of their problems	Isolates those who have opioid use disorder and leads to discrimination and lack of support for treatment programs. Patients may be less likely to start or continue treatment.
Self-stigma	Feeling guilty about using medications and perceiving one’s self has a moral weakness	Reduced engagement with care. Psychological distress and poorer health outcomes.
Stigma to Treatment Medications	Belief that treatment is ineffective or that medications will cause more harm than good.	Patients are hesitant to start treatment or continue treatment.