Examining the relationship between public stigma, models of addiction, and addictive disorders

Background The stigmatization of addiction has been identified as a barrier to treatment-seeking among individuals with substance use concerns. Although some evidence exists that beliefs in different models of addiction (MOAs) are associated with stigma, the research is limited in several ways. The aim of the current study is to understand the relationship between different MOAs and public stigma toward substance use disorders and behavioral addictions.