Stigma is a barrier to accessing care and treatment for perinatal women with pain and opioid dependency, resulting in increased maternal/neonatal morbidity and mortality, prolonged neonatal hospitalizations, and increased healthcare-related costs. This theory-generating qualitative meta-synthesis includes 18 qualitative research reports and describes the stigma-related experiences of perinatal women with opioid dependency. A model emerged consisting of cyclical yet pivotal care points, facilitators/deterrents of stigma, and stigma experiences including infant-associative stigma. Findings of this qualitative meta-synthesis include the following: (a) Perinatal stigma experiences may prevent women from accessing care; (b) Infant-associative stigma may influence the woman to deflect stigma from her infant onto herself; and (c) There is the risk of mothers withdrawing their infants from healthcare to protect from future anticipated stigma. Implications reveal ideal time points to enact healthcare interventions to reduce perinatal stigma experiences and its consequences on maternal/child health and wellness.
Keywords: infants; pregnancy; qualitative research; stigma; substance addiction.