2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer (Posters)-P2.27. Stigma-Reducing Interventions for Lung Cancer and Other Smoking-Related Respiratory Diseases: A Systematic Review

Pdf Summary

This systematic review examined stigma-reducing interventions for lung cancer and other smoking-related respiratory diseases. The review included 10 studies, with most interventions targeting symptomatic individuals or high-risk groups in high-income countries. The findings showed that these interventions led to a statistically significant reduction in stigma or a decrease in stigma reported through qualitative methods. However, most of the interventions were delivered in pilot or feasibility studies with small samples or short follow-up durations.<br /><br />The impacts of stigma on individuals affected by lung cancer or smoking-related diseases were found to be considerable. Stigma can manifest as externalized devaluation, such as discrimination or judgmental comments, or internalized as self-blame or shame. Stigma delays help-seeking, affects the receipt and delivery of care, and is associated with poorer psychosocial outcomes such as distress and isolation. The review suggests that stigma may be increasing due to denormalization strategies in population-level tobacco control responses.<br /><br />The review highlights the importance of developing stigma-reducing interventions, as evidence of their efficacy is starting to accumulate. However, the studies included in the review generally had low risk of bias, but none of them included control groups or multiple pre-post intervention assessments.<br /><br />The review aimed to identify existing stigma-reducing interventions in smoking-related respiratory diseases and synthesize their components and reported efficacy. It used a variety of search databases and critical appraisal tools for study designs. The interventions identified fell into three categories: educational interventions, behavioral interventions, and psychosocial interventions. These interventions aimed to provide information, guide behavior change, or improve mood and coping skills. Remote and digital intervention delivery showed promise in increasing accessibility for people with comorbidities or loss of function.<br /><br />Further research is needed to develop and evaluate stigma-reducing interventions with larger samples and in different socio-cultural contexts. The review also suggests the importance of including validated stigma assessments in a wider variety of interventional studies to identify more effective techniques for targeted stigma reduction.

Asset Subtitle

Nathan Harrison

Meta Tag

Speaker Nathan Harrison

Topic Patient Advocacy

Keywords

systematic review

stigma-reducing interventions

lung cancer

smoking-related respiratory diseases

high-income countries

stigma

help-seeking

psychosocial outcomes

tobacco control

educational interventions