Article Summary

Gender Differences Among In- and Out-of-Treatment Opioid-Addicted Individuals

Article Summary:

This article covers a study done to detect differences among both genders and treatment options for drugs addicts. The sample used for this test had 355 participants; 154 (43%) women and 201 (57%) men. About 69% of the participants were entering into treatment, 43% women and 57% men. That leaves 111 participants left that were not entering into treatment. Of the total number of participants, 74% were African American/ other, and 24% were married. The average age was 41 years old and the average amount of education completed was 11 years.

                Of the total women participants, those that were in-treatment women were more likely to be African American and more educated than those that were out-off-treatment women. Other factors such as age, marital status, etc. did not affect this sample. Compared to in-treatment women, out-of treatment women used their drug of choice more, were involved in more illegal ways of earning money, and almost doubled the amount spent on drugs in the 30 days leading up to the study.

                Not many factors affected the differences between out-of-treatment men and women; however, women were significantly younger than the men. Out-of-treatment women used their substance of choice more times in the 30 days leading up to the study than out-of-treatment men did. There were no significant findings for differences between in-treatment men and in-treatment women.

                This study also looked at the number of days worked in the 30 days leading up to the study. Major differences were found between men and women. Women work much less in those 30 days than men did. No difference was found between in-treatment women and out-of-treatment women.

          

Connection to Reading:    

One reason that the number of men entering treatment was higher than women could be due to obligation of children. Fear of losing their child or inability to receive help raising the child may lead women away from treatment options. Another reason may be that substance using women are more likely to have a substance using partner than substance using men are. If this is the case than they may not see that they have a problem if they don’t think their partner does.

                According to the study, the majority of in-treatment women were African American. In our book it states that African American women are much better at abstaining from drugs than African American males or White women. This holds true in the study because African American women were more likely to receive treatment.

               

Reflection:

  Overall I think this study covers many of the critical gender differences that arise with addiction. If it is this obvious that women are much less likely to receive treatment than something must be done about it. Efforts are being made to make treatment options available to pregnant or parenting women but that is not enough. All possible reasons for women’s lower treatment rates must be taken into consideration when planning treatment options to cater towards them.

References 

Kelly, S. M., Schwartz, R. P., O'Grady, K. E., Mitchell, S., Reisinger, H., Peterson, J. A., & ... Brown, B. S.    (2009). Gender Differences Among In- and Out-of-Treatment Opioid-Addicted Individuals.         American Journal Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 35(1), 38-42. doi:10.1080/00952990802342915

Van Wormer, K. Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective.