Testing the Relationships Between Multiple Domains of Substance Use-Related Stigma and Depression Among a Sample of Young (18–30-Year-Old) People Who Inject Drugs in the Greater Chicago Area

Despite increases in injection drug use, depression, and fatal overdose among young people (aged 18–30) during the last 15–20 years, and despite literature among other populations finding relationships between various types of stigma and mental health outcomes, to date, there have been no studies examining the relationship between substance use-related stigma and depression among young people who inject drugs (PWID), specifically. The present study examined baseline data from a longitudinal study of young (18–30-year-old) PWID and their risk network members of any age. Multiple linear regression was used to explore the relationship between substance use-related stigma and depression. Stigma was measured both as a composite score of all stigma types/domains, and separately as enacted, anticipated, and internalized stigma. Results are compared for the full sample and for the subsample of young PWID ( N = 166). Greater levels of the composite measure of all stigma types were associated with greater levels of depression among both samples. While each of the three domains of stigma, measured separately, significantly predicted greater levels of depression among the full sample, only enacted stigma and anticipated stigma were significantly associated with depression among the subsample of young PWID. These findings suggest that to address mental health challenges among young PWID, in addition to providing mental health support and treatment, intervention efforts should focus on the direct reduction of stigma among the general population. Since internalized stigma does not significantly predict depression, working with young PWID to address internalized stigma is unlikely to be effective.