Drug-related stigma among people who inject drugs - development and validation of the drug use stigma scale (DUSS).

Summary: People who inject drugs often face harsh judgment, or stigma. This stigma can make them afraid to go to the doctor, which hurts their health. In the past, tools to measure this stigma were mostly made for people in cities or those already in treatment. Researchers wanted a better tool that works for people in rural areas, too. They talked to people in rural West Virginia and created a new 16-question survey called the Drug Use Stigma Scale (DUSS). They tested it on 336 people and found it works very well. The survey proved that people who feel more stigma are much less likely to get medical help when they need it. This new tool will help doctors and scientists measure stigma better and find ways to help.