NCJ Number
167277
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 32 Issue: 10 Dated: (August 1997) Pages: 1395-1404
Date Published
1997
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Although the number of females in drug treatment programs in the United States has increased over the past decade, women continue to be underrepresented.
Abstract
This suggests that prevalent treatment models tend to be male-oriented and may not provide appropriate strategies to meet women's needs. Drug use problems among women appear to be multidetermined phenomena in which genetics, family history, psychosocial issues, and other environmental factors play contributing roles. Working from a relational theoretical model of female psychosocial development, a continuum of expanded services addressing the entire context of women's lives is discussed. The authors conclude that effective treatment programs for women must address patterns of passivity, dependence, and victimization defining many women's existence and that female drug treatment clients should be empowered to collaborate in the development and implementation of their individualized treatment plans. 27 references