Attitudes of professionals to drug abusers.

Drug abusers are generally regarded as a demanding client group by health care professionals. The occupational background of health care professionals and their familiarity with drug users is likely to affect their emotional responses and attitudes. Professional carers who are more familiar with drug users, e.g. addiction counsellors and psychiatric nurses, tend to have a more positive attitude. Awareness of HIV infection may increase the fears and anxieties of professionals, resulting in a more negative attitude to drug users. Little research has been carried out into the attitudes of professional carers, particularly nurses, towards drug users. Attitudes of professional carers are very important in determining standards of care delivery and more research is needed into the effects of attitudes on the delivery of health care.