Associate Professor Loren Brener

The negative attitudes people hold towards those who use alcohol or other drugs (AOD) can also affect the people who work with this community, leading to lowered productivity and wellbeing. The impact of this stigma by association in the AOD and harm reduction sector is particularly significant because workers may have lived experience of AOD use, and identify strongly with their client group. This study reports on research examining how stigma by association among health workers in the AOD/harm reduction sector relates to workplace outcomes. A secondary aim was to explore how lived experience (i.e., having previous or ongoing AOD use) influences experiences of stigma by association. 

Loren Brener is an Associate Professor at the Centre of Social Research in Health for UNSW