The following is a summary of “Attitudes of black American Christian church leaders toward opioid use disorder, overdoses, and Harm Reduction: A qualitative study,” published in April 2024, issue of Psychiatry by Dankwah et al.
Black American Christian church leaders are considered invaluable assets in their community due to their potential to address the opioid overdose crisis, disproportionately impacting the black community.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the perspectives of black American church leaders regarding medical and harm reduction interventions for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
They used a semi-structured interview guide to conduct in-depth interviews of 30 black Rhode Island church leaders selected by convenience and snowball sampling.
The results showed four key themes. Church leaders showed empathy and understanding towards those with OUD, highlighting hopelessness and inequity as significant risk factors. They were dedicated to promoting holistic well-being beyond survival. Additionally, leaders were willing to collaborate with government entities to tackle the crisis. Black church leaders were worried about interventions like fentanyl test strips and sterile syringe exchanges, but they’re open to harm reduction strategies like counseling, medicines, and naloxone.
Investigators concluded that church leaders played a significant role in bringing culturally fitting ways to fight the opioid crisis in black communities. The perspective warrants careful consideration when shaping OUD policies, collaborations, and interventions.
Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1359826/abstract
