Feasibility and Acceptability of a Gender-Specific Group Treatment for Men with Substance Use Disorders

ABSTRACT

Gender-specific group therapy for substance use disorders (SUDs) has primarily focused on women. The purpose of this study was to (a) develop a gender-specific group therapy for men with SUDs who are heterogeneous with respect to their substances of use and demographic and clinical characteristics, and (b) conduct a pilot study to assess satisfaction and feasibility. Overall, participants (N = 10) reported high satisfaction with the group. From baseline to posttreatment, there was a significant decrease in alcohol use severity and in substance use. The results of this study provide preliminary support for group therapy that focuses on gender-specific themes in an all-male setting for men with SUDs.

KEYWORDS:

• group therapy
• men
• substance use disorders
• gender

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge Brittany R. Iles, BS and Sara B. Wigderson, MS for their help with data collection and manuscript preparation.

Portions of this manuscript were presented in poster format at the 49th annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), November 2015, Chicago, IL and the 39th annual convention of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), June 2016, New Orleans, LA. An abstract for the RSA poster was published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Volume 40, Issue Supplement S1 in June 2016.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this article was provided by the Norman E. Zinberg Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry, McLean Hospital (DES) and the Women’s Mental Health Initiative and Innovation Funds, McLean Hospital (SFG, DES, & MER).