The Role of Stigma in the Nursing Care of Families Impacted by Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

This article presents an important look into stigma of families impacted by NAS and the ways in which healthcare providers must work to combat stigma’s harmful effects, and explores directions for future research of strategies for reducing stigma amongst this population to improve engagement in healthcare and positive heath-seeking behaviors. The authors reported that mothers of infants with NAS experience intensified stigma surrounding SUDs and the challenge of overcoming exclusion, shame, and judgement of their ability to parent. In examining nurses’ perceptions of perinatal women with SUD, the authors found that many struggled with negative attitudes and prejudices towards mothers of infants with NAS that interfered with their ability to provide nonjudgmental care. The authors urge nurses to implement substantial strategies for addressing stigma through tools such as the ACTS script.