Help-seeking among pregnant and parenting women who use drugs: Mitigating stigma through relationships

Expressions of judgement have negative impacts on self-esteem and can foster internalized stigma, while disclosure of substance use in motherhood can threaten to damage interpersonal relationships. At the same time, supportive relationships can buffer against stigma-related harms. Service invisibility and implicit bias within the medical community further deter help-seeking, with negative past experiences compounding mistrust of the system. To promote conditions that are supportive of help-seeking and healthy outcomes for this population, compassion and empathy are critical.