A New Gender-Based Model for Women's Recovery From Substance Abuse: Results of a Pilot Outcome Study

Abstract

Despite repeated calls for gender-based recovery models for women, there has been a lack of empirical research on this topic. We thus sought to evaluate a women's manual-based substance use disorder recovery model in a pilot study. Participants were opioid-dependent women in a methadone maintenance treatment program who received 12 sessions of the gender-based model in group format over two months. Assessment was conducted before and after the intervention, with results indicating significant improvements in drug use (verified by urinalysis), impulsive-addictive behavior, global improvement, and knowledge of the treatment concepts. Patients' high attendance rate (87% of available sessions) and strong treatment satisfaction additionally support the potential use of this treatment model. Future research would benefit from larger samples and enhanced scientific methodology.

Keywords:

• Addiction
• gender
• methadone maintenance
• opioid dependence
• outcome
• substance abuse
• treatment
• women