Stigmatization and Immigrant Youth from the Former Soviet Union with Opioid and Injection Use Problems

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Despite scant attention in research, efforts suggest that immigrant youth from the former Soviet Union (FSU) are engaging in opioid and injection use in numbers which parallel alarming trends nationwide. However, the increase in drug use among FSU youth may be uniquely attributed to acculturation and ecological challenges embedded in experiences of drug-related stigmatization within their immigrant communities. This presentation will explore processes of stigmatization that shape the lives of FSU youth who engage in opioid and injection use as they occur in multiple spheres.

This grounded theory qualitative analysis draws upon data from a larger study examining FSU drug-use trajectories. In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sub-sample of 26 young adults and explored domains that include youths’ drug use histories, immigration and acculturation experiences.

Findings revealed that FSU immigrant youth reported perceptions of drug-related stigmas within their ethnic Russian speaking community and within their more micro familial systems and peer networks. Moreover, stigmas were often embedded in harsh and discriminatory Soviet-era policies towards drug users that promoted a lack of awareness of psychoactive drugs and addiction. Consequently, these stigmas created barriers to youth’s decisions to seek treatment and engage in harm reduction services.

Author

• Alana Gunn, Binghamton University