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Disproportionate impact of stigma on African American women involved with criminal justice systems
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OBJECTIVES: Researchers cite stigma as a barrier to help seeking behaviors and recovery from an illnesses such as substance use. What is less studied are groups who experience several stigmas such as formerly incarcerated African American women. Not only can incarceration impart stigma, but experiences with substance use and motherhood create stigma. Moreover, African American women face stigma due to mass incarceration trends that criminalize drug use and poor minority communities. Future research can investigate how African American women manage stigma, and how their management strategies affect help seeking, re-entry and recovery from drug illness.
METHODS: This grounded theory study included semi-structured interviews with 30 women in drug treatment. Data was analyzed using NVivo and a systematic format of initial, focused, and theoretical coding; these strategies were used to determine the Causes, Consequences, and Conditions under which stigma occurred and was managed.
RESULTS: Participants reported stigmas based on the perceived permanence of their addiction and criminal involvement and how their experiences violated norms of proper behavior for women. The participants used traditionally researched strategies of withdrawal, concealment and educational awareness, as well as strategies of selective and restorative engagement.
CONCLUSIONS: This study explains the strategies of African American women who manage stigmas due to how society views criminal justice populations. While they are no longer incarcerated, the mark of their previous disbarment pervades women’s re-entry and recovery from illness. This study outlines intervention needs of African American women from impoverished communities; stigma-informed treatment for holistic healing and recovery are discussed.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and cultureOther professions or practice related to public health
Program planning
Learning Objectives:
Describe how African American women perceive stigmas that threaten their psychological well-being.
Explain how women employ health-promoting strategies against stigma.
Identify at least 3 strategies for working with women with addiction and incarceration experiences from African American communities.
Demonstrate the importance of intersectionality research for understanding the problems of marginalized communities.
Keyword(s): Women's Health, Drug Abuse Treatment
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a co-principal investigator of this research that was conducted during my dissertation studies at the University of Chicago. I solely collected and analyzed all dissertation data with the guidance of my dissertation committee.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.