Substance abuse treatment entry, retention, and outcome in women: a review of the literature.

ABSTRACT: This paper reviews the literature examining characteristics associated with treatment outcome in women with substance use disorders. A search of the English language literature from 1975 to 2005 using Medline and PsycInfo databases found 280 relevant articles. Ninety percent of the studies investigating gender differences in substance abuse treatment outcomes were published since 1990, and of those, over 40% were published since the year 2000. Only 11.8% of these studies were randomized clinical trials. A convergence of evidence suggests that women with substance use disorders are less likely, over the lifetime, to enter treatment compared to their male counterparts. Once in treatment, however, gender is not a significant predictor of treatment retention, completion, or outcome. Gender-spe

SUBMITTER: Greenfield SF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3532875 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature