How Fear of Judgment Shapes Cannabis Disclosure in Healthcare Settings
Anticipated stigma — the expectation of being judged — prevents honest cannabis use disclosure in nursing settings, undermining patient care.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Five core attributes of anticipated stigma were identified, with antecedents including identity salience, sociocultural norms, and structural factors. Consequences include psychological distress, concealment behaviors, and reduced healthcare engagement.
Key Numbers
Literature spanning 1963-2024 was synthesized across four disciplines (nursing, public health, psychology, sociology) to identify five core attributes of anticipated stigma.
How They Did This
Evolutionary concept analysis using Rodgers and Knafl's method, synthesizing literature from nursing, public health, psychology, and sociology published between 1963 and 2024.
Why This Research Matters
When patients fear judgment for cannabis use, they hide it from healthcare providers — leading to incomplete health assessments, potential drug interactions, and compromised care.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis legalization expands, the gap between legal acceptance and social stigma in healthcare settings creates a barrier to honest patient-provider communication that nursing education hasn't yet adequately addressed.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Conceptual analysis without primary empirical data. Findings are theoretical and need validation through clinical studies. Focused primarily on nursing contexts.
Questions This Raises
- ?What specific training interventions reduce cannabis-related stigma among nurses?
- ?How does anticipated stigma differ between medical and recreational cannabis users?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Theoretical concept analysis provides framework for understanding stigma but lacks empirical validation from clinical settings.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026, synthesizing six decades of stigma literature.
- Original Title:
- Anticipated Stigma in Nursing: A Concept Analysis Informed by Cannabis Use Disclosure.
- Published In:
- Journal of advanced nursing (2026)
- Authors:
- King, Daniel D(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08389
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research without a strict systematic method.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why don't patients tell their nurses about cannabis use?
Anticipated stigma — the expectation of being devalued or discriminated against — leads patients to conceal cannabis use from healthcare providers, even when disclosure would improve their care.
How does cannabis stigma affect healthcare?
When patients hide cannabis use due to fear of judgment, nurses can't provide complete assessments, check for drug interactions, or offer appropriate guidance, compromising the quality of care.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08389APA
King, Daniel D. (2026). Anticipated Stigma in Nursing: A Concept Analysis Informed by Cannabis Use Disclosure.. Journal of advanced nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70499
MLA
King, Daniel D. "Anticipated Stigma in Nursing: A Concept Analysis Informed by Cannabis Use Disclosure.." Journal of advanced nursing, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.70499
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Anticipated Stigma in Nursing: A Concept Analysis Informed b..." RTHC-08389. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/king-2026-anticipated-stigma-in-nursing
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.