A mixed-methods study of self-change among severely substance-dependent Israelis: does gender make a difference?

Abstract

A mixed-methods design was used to examine gender differences in self-change (SC), and integrate the quantitative findings with information extracted from qualitative narratives. The sample included 133 self-changers (52 women and 81 men), with a subsample of 25 respondents. The quantitative analysis showed no significant gender differences in personal characteristics, except in history of child abuse. Women reported a higher rate of emotional and sexual abuse than men. In comparison, the qualitative findings showed gender differences in constructing the SC process, which was based on gender stereotypes. Respondents simultaneously expressed two types of attitudes: egalitarian attitudes toward gender equality, and traditional attitudes toward gender roles and traits. In conclusion, the findings suggest that SC can occur among severely substance-dependent women and men. Both genders attributed their successful SC to the ability to regulate their emotions, and their explanations were rooted in gender stereotypes.

Keywords:

• Gender differences
• self-change
• childhood abuse
• severely dependent
• self-regulation

Ethical declarations

The authors ensured informed consent by distributing a written statement to respondents that provided the names and phone numbers of the research team members, the purpose of the research, the names of the funding body, how the data would be stored, information about confidentiality and anonymity, and information on local sources of immediate support regarding substance use and related problems. The information collected by means of questionnaires and interviews was treated as confidential and was only available to the research team. The authors ensured that no harm came to the respondents as a result of speaking to us, by providing information on sources of local help for substance use and related problems and by protecting their anonymity and referring to them only by a randomized reference number. This study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of Bar-Ilan University.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Israel Anti-Drug Authority (IADA) [grant number 204152].