The effect of self-compassion on stigma level in individuals with substance use disorder

Aim: The descriptive and correlational cross-sectional study aims to determine the effect of self-compassion on the level of stigmatization in individuals with substance use disorder. Material and Method: The study was completed with 97 patients diagnosed with substance use disorder who were admitted to Turgut Özal Medical Center psychiatric outpatient clinics. The data were collected using the "Introductory Information Form", the "Self-Compassion Scale Short-Form (SCS-SF)", and the "Substance Use Stigma Mechanism Scale (SU-SMS)". Kolmogrov-Smirnov, mean/standard deviation, median and min-max, Pearson correlation test, and Simple Linear Regression Analysis were used for statistical evaluation of the data using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) 25.0 package program. Results: According to the findings of the study, the mean total score of the patients on the SU-SMS was 46.55±12.10 and considering the sub-scales, it was found that the patients experienced the approved stigma most (17.10±6.20). The mean total score on the SCS-SF was 36.59±10.59. There was a statistically significant negative moderate relationship between the total scale scores (r.-507, p<0.001). As a result of the simple linear regression analysis performed to reveal how the level of self- compassion predicts the level of stigma, a significant negative relationship was observed between the level of self- compassion and the level of stigma (R=0.411, R2=0.169). It was found that self- compassion was a significant predictor of stigma (F=19.052, p< 0.01). Self- compassion explains 16% of the change in the stigma scale. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that stigmatization decreased as patients' self-compassion increased. It is recommended to perform interventions to increase self-compassion to cope with stigmatization in the individual treatment of substance use disorder.