Facilitating interventions for women in treatment for problematic drug use from a gender perspective

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: There are barriers for women’s care and staying in treatment for problematic drug use. They are related to spaces and design of programs that do not consider the specific needs for gender perspective work. The objective was to explore the interventions that work as facilitators to support and listen to women, based on the experience of a group of women in the context of a treatment for problematic substance use. METHODS: A mixed design was used, taking as empirical reference the implementation of a women’s group. The study worked with a sample of 33 women from a population of 79 patients in an outpatient facility for the treatment of problematic substance use in the city of Buenos Aires from July 2020 to July 2022. RESULTS: The collected data show an increase in the population of women since the creation of the group, while the analysis of the experiences allows to distinguish four categories of interventions: the ones that link drug use with women’s social role; the ones aimed at improving mutual support among partners; the ones that allow building a space of openness to tackle situations of violence; and the ones arising from the creation of a women’s group to work on accessibility. DISCUSSION: This work reflects the importance of addressing gender perspective in the treatment in a cross-sectional way.