Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42470538›Full record

ArticleCommunity mental health journal2026

Depressive Symptoms and Anticipated Help-seeking Stigma as Mental Healthcare Navigation Barriers Among People Who Use Opioids.

Antoine Khati, Md Safaet Hossain Sujan, Ran Xu, Jeffrey A Wickersham, Kamal Gautam, Kiran Paudel, Michael M Copenhaver, Pablo K Valente, Roman Shrestha

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Article in Community mental health journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Antoine KhatiDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Md Safaet Hossain SujanDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Ran XuDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Jeffrey A WickershamDepartment of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, USA.
Kamal GautamDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Kiran PaudelDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Michael M CopenhaverDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Pablo K ValenteDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
Roman ShresthaDepartment of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA. roman.shrestha@uconn.edu.

Funding

Optimizing HIV Prevention Among Opioid-Dependent PersonsK24DA051344 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STORRS · PI MICHAEL COPENHAVER · 2020 to 2026
$1.3M
Training in MHealth Prevention with MSMK01DA051346 · NIDA · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI SHRESTHA, ROMAN · 2020 to 2024
$862k
NIDA NIH HHS K01 DA051346NIDA NIH HHS K24 DA051344
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Depression is prevalent among people who use opioids (PWUO) and may hinder mental healthcare access not only through reduced engagement but also through difficulty identifying where to obtain services. Information about available mental health care is often obtained through disclosure of symptoms and help-seeking interactions with providers or others. Concerns about how others may react to seeking care may discourage these interactions and limit guidance opportunities for care. However, few studies have examined whether depressive symptoms and anticipated stigma related to help-seeking perceived as a barrier to care are associated with reporting a mental health care service navigation knowledge barrier among PWUO. We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey of 199 PWUO conducted in New Haven, Connecticut. Participants reported whether "being unsure where to go to get mental healthcare" was perceived as a barrier (mental health care service navigation knowledge barrier) and whether "being concerned about what others might think, say, or do" was perceived as a barrier (anticipated stigma related to help-seeking perceived as a barrier). Depressive symptoms were assessed with the PHQ-9 (score ≥ 10). Using adjusted multivariable logistic regression models, we examined separate and jointly adjusted associations and tested an interaction by depression screening status. Nearly 59% of participants screened positive for depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were associated with higher odds of reporting the service navigation knowledge barrier (aOR = 4.00; 95% CI: 2.10-7.88). Anticipated stigma related to help-seeking perceived as a barrier was also associated with higher odds of reporting the service navigation knowledge barrier (aOR = 5.16; 95% CI: 2.75-10.00). In a jointly adjusted model, both depressive symptoms (aOR = 3.50; 95% CI: 1.77-7.15) and anticipated stigma related to help-seeking perceived as a barrier (aOR = 4.67; 95% CI: 2.43-9.26) remained independently associated with the outcome. The interaction was not statistically significant (p = 0.052). Findings suggest that improving mental healthcare access for PWUO may require attention to both depressive symptoms and anticipated stigma related to help-seeking perceived as a barrier to care, alongside practical navigation and linkage supports embedded in harm reduction and substance use treatment settings.

Indexed as

Anticipated stigmaDepressionHelp-seekingMental healthopioid use disorder (OUD)People who use opioids (PWUO)

Identifiers

PMID42470538

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.