Anticipated stigma — the expectation of being judged — prevents honest cannabis use disclosure in nursing settings, undermining patient care.
Nursing educators, healthcare administrators, stigma researchers, patient advocacy groups
What the researchers 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.
Why it 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 numbers in context
Literature spanning 1963-2024 was synthesized across four disciplines (nursing, public health, psychology, sociology) to identify five core attributes of anticipated stigma.
How the study worked
Evolutionary concept analysis using Rodgers and Knafl's method, synthesizing literature from nursing, public health, psychology, and sociology published between 1963 and 2024.
What this study cannot tell us
Conceptual analysis without primary empirical data. Findings are theoretical and need validation through clinical studies. Focused primarily on nursing contexts.
How to read the evidence
Theoretical concept analysis provides framework for understanding stigma but lacks empirical validation from clinical settings.
When this study was published
Published 2026, synthesizing six decades of stigma literature.
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.
Questions still open
- What specific training interventions reduce cannabis-related stigma among nurses? How does anticipated stigma differ between medical and recreational cannabis users?
Common questions
Why don't patients tell their nurses about cannabis use?
How does cannabis stigma affect healthcare?
Read the original research
Anticipated Stigma in Nursing: A Concept Analysis Informed by Cannabis Use Disclosure.
Journal of advanced nursing
Citation
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