The Effects of Mass Media Photographs on Drug-Related Stigma

NCT ID: NCT06743178

Last Updated: 2024-12-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

3570 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-03-20

Study Completion Date

2024-04-08

Brief Summary

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exposure to drug-related photos used by the media on emotions, stigma towards people who use drugs, and public health services for this population.

Detailed Description

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This randomized experiment evaluated the impact of drug-related photographs used by the media on stigma towards people who use drugs. A nationally representative sample of US adults was randomized to view different photos used in the media (a person injecting drugs, a person being resuscitated after an overdose, a person receiving treatment, a person in recovery, or a person who had lost a family member to an overdose) and then asked questions about their feelings towards people who use drugs and their acceptance of public health services to address the overdose crisis.

Conditions

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Opioid Use Disorder Substance Use Disorders Stigma, Social

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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No exposure control group

This group was not exposed to any drug-related photo.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Photo of person injecting drugs

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a person injecting drugs

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs

Photo of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responding to an overdose (White)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of EMS responding to a white person who had overdosed.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of EMS responding to a Black person who had overdosed.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person receiving methadone treatment in jail.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person receiving methadone treatment in a community setting.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Photo of a person in recovery (White)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a white person in recovery in their workplace.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a person in recovery (White)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a person in recovery (White)

Photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a Black person in recovery in their workplace.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Participants randomized to this arm were exposed to a photo of a person who had lost a family member to an overdose.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Exposed to a photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Interventions

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Photo of a person injecting drugs

Exposed to a photo of a person injecting drugs

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Exposed to a photo of EMS responding to an overdose (White)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Exposed to a photo of EMS responding to an overdose (Black)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Exposed to a photo of a person receiving treatment (Jail)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Exposed to a photo of a person receiving treatment (Community)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of a person in recovery (White)

Exposed to a photo of a person in recovery (White)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Exposed to a photo of a person in recovery (Black)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Exposed to a photo of a family member of an overdose decedent

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* participant in existing web-based survey panel (NORC's AmeriSpeak)

Exclusion Criteria

* not able to complete experiment and survey in English
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Vital Strategies

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Alene Kennedy-Hendricks, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Locations

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Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Hom JK, Heley K, Bandara S, Kennedy-Hendricks A. The impact of news photographs on drug-related stigma: A randomized message testing experiment in a National Sample of US Adults. Prev Med. 2025 Jun;195:108293. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2025.108293. Epub 2025 Apr 29.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40311941 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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IRB00026173

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id