Date of Award

6-11-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Tracy DeHart

Second Advisor

Lidia Monjaras-Gaytan

Abstract

Addiction and substance use is currently one of the most stigmatized disorders in society, creating a barrier to treatment and recovery. This study explored the role of family stigma, the stigmatization processes of family members of otherwise stigmatized individuals, within families of substance users to examine how stigma might affect family support behaviors. Two hundred and twenty-two U.S. adults who have a substance using family member completed an online survey regarding their experiences of family stigma, attributions of responsibility for addiction, self-compassion, and any supportive recovery behaviors they engage in to help their family member’s addiction. Results of correlation analysis provide evidence that experiencing greater stigma, low trait self-compassion, and greater internal attributions of responsibility are related to lower engagement in recovery support behaviors. However, results from moderated mediation pathways did not support self-compassion as a moderator nor attributions of responsibility as a mediator between family stigma and recovery support behaviors. Additional findings from exploratory analysis and possible directions for future research are outlined.

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