Characteristics of women seeking intensive outpatient substance use treatment in the VA.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate gender differences among veterans receiving intensive outpatient (IOP) substance use treatment in a national VA sample and to compare women attending IOP with women with substance use disorders in VA primary care. METHODS: VA national databases were used to identify all veterans receiving intensive IOP substance use treatment in 1999 along with a matched cohort of individuals with substance use disorders attending primary care but not in treatment. RESULTS: Few women (2.8%) were treated in IOP at the VA. Among the women who did receive treatment, substantial clinical differences were found compared with men in IOP treatment. Women with substance use disorders were younger, more likely to have cocaine abuse or dependence disorders, and more likely to have extensive psychiatric and medical comorbidities than men with substance use disorders in the VA. Women in treatment were also found to be significantly different from women with substance use disorders not in treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Outreach and new programming for women veterans with substance use disorders in the VA is critical in order to treat these issues early and potentially prevent multiple, severe comorbid illnesses.

Author information

Author/s: Stecker, Tracy (T); Han, Xiaotong (X); Curran, Geoffrey M (GM); Booth, Brenda M (BM);

Affiliation: VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D), Center for Mental Health and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114, USA. steckertracy(-atsign-)uams.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Journal: Journal of women's health (2002) (J Womens Health (Larchmt)), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Dec; vol 16 (issue 10) : pp 1478-84

Dates: Created 2007/12/07; Completed 2008/02/26;

PMID: 18062763, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.