# Using Narratives to Identify Stigma Phenotypes - A Socio-Ecological Approach

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2022 · $266,633

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Stigma associated with substance use disorders (SUDs) can have severe negative consequences for physical
and mental health; affect employment, housing, and social relationships; result in social alienation; and serve
as a barrier to obtaining treatment. Existing stigma reduction interventions have largely focused on structural
stigma (e.g. education of medical students or professional groups that work with persons with SUDs), but
stigma can occur at multiple levels and in different contexts. In particular, there is a need for more stigma
reduction interventions targeting those affected by self-stigma. We propose to address this gap by
characterizing stigma in different substance use contexts through narratives collected from two different
sources, social media and survey data. The long-term objective of this proposal is to derive insights concerning
stigma phenotypes – characterized by setting (e.g., work, home, school), actors (persons involved in the
stigma-related experience), and situations in which stigma reduction interventions are needed, as well as
intervention mechanisms that are appropriate for their target populations. The significance of this proposal is
that it focuses on stigma as it directly affects the persons who experience stigma – an area in which stigma
reduction interventions are lacking. We focus on stigma relating to three substances: alcohol, cannabis, and
opioids. Our three aims are: 1) we will integrate natural language processing and qualitative research methods
to identify stigma processes, their contextual factors, and barriers and facilitators of stigma reduction in a social
media corpus; 2) we will administer a survey to elicit narratives from persons with SUDs about how they have
dealt with stigma in different contexts; and 3) we will triangulate the findings from Aims 1 and 2 to identify
settings, target populations, and intervention mechanisms for future stigma reduction interventions. Our
multidisciplinary research team possesses expertise in multiple areas relating to this proposal, including NLP,
qualitative research, and substance use, and are ideally positioned to conduct the research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10508469
- **Project number:** 1R21DA056684-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Annie Chen
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $266,633
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10508469

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10508469, Using Narratives to Identify Stigma Phenotypes - A Socio-Ecological Approach (1R21DA056684-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10508469. Licensed CC0.

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