Abstract

The “attraction paradigm” proposed that demographic and experiential homogeneity will lead to effective group working, whereas disparity will have the opposite effect. There is evidence to suggest that demographically and experientially homogenous peer and volunteer health care workers (who may have had similar substance misuse and other experiences to the client groups with which they are working) contribute effectively towards positive health care outcomes. Professional health care workers, on the other hand, are not likely to be as demographically and/or experientially homogenous and have been shown to have negative attitudes towards substance misuse service users. It is suggested that by employing the arts, literature and music in substance misuse education, professional health care workers will be exposed to vivid and stark accounts of those experiences that they otherwise might not have, thus improving attitudes and perhaps, clinical outcomes.