Stigma and Quality of Life in Substance Users: Methods and Applications

In current healthcare practice and research, it is important to understand an individual’s quality of life (QoL) because the QoL provides a comprehensive and holistic view of an individual’s health. Therefore, understanding the QoL of people with substance use disorders should be an integral part of psychiatric care. In addition to a low QoL, people with substance use disorders often face stigma in different forms (experienced stigma, perceived stigma, self-stigma). Stigma may have negative consequences, such as health issues, and lower the QoL. The QoL and stigma seem to be two important social and health factors for people with substance use disorders. This chapter discusses the research on QoL, stigma, the relationship between QoL and stigma, and the instruments available for assessing QoL and stigma for people with substance use disorders.