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Women Only Treatment Has Long Term Benefits

Women are underrepresented in most alcohol and drug treatment programs. They also often have special accompanying issues, such as child-care responsibilities and past trauma. These issues may be overlooked or discounted in a mixed-gender setting. In fact, many women with substance-use disorders (SUDs) report that all-female groups provide a safer and more comfortable treatment environment. This study tested a treatment program that is women-focused and women-only in design.

Researchers recruited patients with SUD from local hospital programs, clinician referrals, etc. Participants were then randomly assigned to either women-focused group therapy (n=16) called the Women’s Recovery Group (WRG), or a mixed-gender (n=7) Group Drug Counseling (GDC). The WRG is a new 12-session relapse-prevention group therapy that utilizes a cognitive-behavioral approach; the GDC is known to be an effective treatment for SUDs.

During the 12 weeks of treatment, there were no significant differences in substance-use outcomes between the WRG and GDC groups. However, during the six-month follow-up, WRG members showed a pattern of continuous reductions in substance use, while GDC members did not. Furthermore, WRG members with alcohol dependence had significantly greater reductions in average drinks per drinking day than GDC members. The results suggest that women-focused and women-only treatment groups have long-term positive outcomes.

(Greenfield, SF, Trucco, EM, McHugh, RK, Lincoln, M, Gallop, RJ: The Women’s Recovery Group study: A Stage 1 trial of women-focused group therapy for substance use disorders versus mixed-gender group drug counseling. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 90:39-47, 2007.)

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5. Women Alcoholics Experience More Brain Damage than Men