Self-stigma, alcohol use disorder, information behaviour: a theoretical and conceptual synthesis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31ISIC65230Keywords:
alcohol use disorder (AUD), information behaviour, information insularity, information poverty, small world, self-stigmaAbstract
Introduction. This study explores how self-stigma influences the information behaviour of individuals living with alcohol use disorder by integrating Goffman’s theory of stigma and impression management with Chatman’s theories of information poverty and small worlds. It examines how secrecy, selective disclosure, and bounded trust shape information seeking, sharing, and avoidance in stigmatised contexts.
Method. A conceptual and theoretical synthesis approach was used, drawing from sociological and information behaviour literature to identify points of intersection between stigma, identity management, and information control.
Analysis. The analysis highlights how individuals with alcohol use disorder construct trusted small worlds where insider trust is high, but information exchange remains limited. Within these worlds, secrecy and selective engagement with information function as protective strategies rather than mere barriers.
Results. The study introduces the adapted concept of information insularity—a self-protective form of information control where individuals create informational islands to maintain safety, identity, and belonging.
Conclusion. Findings suggest the need for stigma-sensitive and anonymous information systems that foster trust while expanding access to credible, evidence-based resources. Theoretically, this work reframes self-stigma as an informational condition and contributes to understanding how social vulnerability shapes everyday information behaviour.
References
Bathje, G. J. & Marston, H. N. (2014). Self-stigmatization. In: T. Teo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of critical psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_395
Bolster-Foucault, C., Fane, B. H. M., & Blair, A. (2021). Structural determinants of stigma across health and social conditions: A rapid review and conceptual framework to guide future research and intervention. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice, 41(3), 85. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.41.3.03
Bosworth, K. T., Massey, Z. B., Boyle, M., Henry, N., McGough, K. G., Ashford, A., Rains, E. B., Battle, J. D., Kelly, P., Malaker, P., & Tilhou, A. S. (2024). Analysing media portrayals of people with substance use disorder and addiction: A scoping review. Cultures of Science, 7(2_suppl), 126-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/20966083241313264
Bronstein, J. (2014). Is this OCD? Exploring conditions of information poverty in online support groups dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder. In Proceedings of ISIC, the Information Behaviour Conference, Leeds, 2–5 September 2014: Part 1 (Paper isic16). Information Research, 19(4). http://InformationR.net/ir/19-4/isic/isic16.htmlChambers, S. E., Canvin, K., Baldwin, D. S., & Sinclair, J. M. (2017). Identity in recovery from problematic alcohol use: A qualitative study of online mutual aid. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 174, 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.009
Chatman, E. A. (1996). The impoverished life‐world of outsiders. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 47(3), 193-206.
https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(199603)47:3%3C193::AID-ASI3%3E3.0.CO;2-T
Chatman, E. A. (2000). Framing social life in theory and research. The New Review of Information Behaviour Research, 13-17.
Chaudoir, S. R., Earnshaw, V. A., & Andel, S. (2016). “Discredited” versus “discreditable”: Understanding how shared and unique stigma mechanisms affect psychological and physical health disparities. Basic and Applied Social Psychology. 53(1),75-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2012.746612
Cheetham, A., Picco, L., Barnett, A., Lubman, D. I., & Nielsen, S. (2022). The Impact of stigma on people with opioid use disorder, opioid treatment, and policy. Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 13, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.2147/SAR.S304566
Corrigan, P. W., Kuwabara, S. A., & O’Shaughnessy, J. (2009). The public stigma of mental illness and drug addiction: Findings from a stratified random sample. Journal of Social Work, 9(2), 139- 147. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017308101818
Corrigan, P. W., Larson, J. E., & Rüsch, N. (2009). Self-stigma and the “why try” effect: Impact on life goals and evidence-based practices. World psychiatry, 8(2), 75-81. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2051-5545.2009.tb00218.x
Deidda, M. (2016). Insularity and economic development: A survey. International Review of Economics, 63(2), 107-128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12232-015-0238-8
Drake, D. R., Mulder, C. P., Towns, D. R., & Daugherty, C. H. (2002). The biology of insularity: An introduction. Journal of Biogeography, 29(5‐6), 563-569. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365- 2699.2002.00706.x
Farrell, J. P. (1994). Critical theory and cultural insularity. Curriculum Inquiry, 24(2), 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.1994.11076155
Finn, S. W., Mejldal, A., & Nielsen, A. S. (2023). Perceived barriers to seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders among the general Danish population–a cross sectional study on the role of severity of alcohol use and gender. Archives of Public Health, 81(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-023-01085-4
Gibson, A. N., & Martin III, J. D. (2019). Re‐situating information poverty: Information marginalization and parents of individuals with disabilities. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 70(5), 476-487. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24128
Goffman, E. (2009). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Simon and Schuster.
Grinspoon, P. (2018, January 5). Working through workplace stigma: Coming back after addiction. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/workplace-stigma-addiction-2018010513040
Kilian, C., Manthey, J., Carr, S., Hanschmidt, F., Rehm, J., Speerforck, S., & Schomerus, G. (2021). Stigmatization of people with alcohol use disorders: An updated systematic review of population studies. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(5), 899-911. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14598
Lambert, S. D., & Loiselle, C. G. (2007). Health information-seeking behavior. Qualitative health research, 17(8), 1006-1019. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732307305199
Lannin, D. G., Vogel, D. L., Brenner, R. E., Abraham, W. T., & Heath, P. J. (2016). Does self-stigma reduce the probability of seeking mental health information?. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(3), 351. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000108
Lingel, J., & Boyd, D. (2013). “Keep it secret, keep it safe”: Information poverty, information norms, and stigma. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64(5), 981-991. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.22800
McCullock, S. P., & Scrivano, R. M. (2023). The effectiveness of mental illness stigma-reduction interventions: A systematic meta-review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 100, 102242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102242
Mikolajczak-Degrauwe, K., Slimmen, S. R., Gillissen, D., de Bil, P., Bosmans, V., Keemink, C., & Kuipers, Y. J. (2023). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of peer support among disadvantaged groups: A rapid scoping review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 10(4), 587- 601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.09.002
Mirzaei, A., Aslani, P., Luca, E. J., & Schneider, C. R. (2021). Predictors of health information–seeking behavior: Systematic literature review and network analysis. Journal of medical Internet research, 23(7), e21680. https://doi.org/10.2196/21680
Na, J. J., Park, J. L., LKhagva, T., & Mikami, A. Y. (2022). The efficacy of interventions on cognitive, behavioral, and affective public stigma around mental illness: A systematic meta-analytic review. Stigma and Health, 7(2), 127.
National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, Division of Behavioral, Social Sciences, Board on Behavioral, Sensory Sciences, & Committee on the Science of Changing Behavioral Health Social Norms. (2016). Ending discrimination against people with mental and substance use disorders: The evidence for stigma change. National Academies Press.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2025, May 8). Stigma: Overcoming a pervasive barrier to optimal care. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core- resource-on-alcohol/stigma-overcoming-pervasive-barrier-optimal-care
Nelson, J., Bundoc-Baronia, R., Comiskey, G., & McGovern, T. F. (2017). Facing addiction in America: The surgeon general’s report on alcohol, drugs, and health: A commentary. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 35(4), 445-454. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2017.1361763
Prizeman, K., Weinstein, N., & McCabe, C. (2023). Effects of mental health stigma on loneliness, social isolation, and relationships in young people with depression symptoms. BMC Psychiatry, 23(1), 527. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04991-7
Romo, L. K., & Obiol, M. E. (2023). How people in recovery manage the stigma of being an alcoholic. Health Communication, 38(5), 947-957. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1983339
Russell, A. M., Montemayor, B. N., Boardman Ndulue, E., Barry, A. E., & Massey, P. M. (2023). Alcohol use disorder narratives in US Digital news coverage and engagement on social media. Health Communication, 38(13), 2986-2992. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2129314
Weaver III, J. B., Mays, D., Weaver, S. S., Hopkins, G. L., Eroğlu, D., & Bernhardt, J. M. (2010). Health information–seeking behaviors, health indicators, and health risks. American Journal of Public Health, 100(8), 1520-1525.
Wilson, T. D. (1997). Information behaviour: An interdisciplinary perspective. Information Processing & Management, 33(4), 551-572.
Wilson, T. D. (2006). On user studies and information needs. Journal of Documentation, 62(6), 658- 670. https://doi.org/10.1108/00220410610714895
Yang, Q., Rüsch, N., Yang, K., Niu, Y., Xiao, Y., Zhou, Y., ... & Xu, Z. (2025). Misconceptions, prejudice and social distance towards people with alcohol use disorders in China. BMC Psychiatry, 25(1), 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06595-9
Zimmerman, M. S., & Shaw Jr, G. (2020). Health information seeking behaviour: A concept analysis. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 37(3), 173-191. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12287
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Opeyemi Rachael Oboh
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
