Substance abuse treatment tailored to women ‘a must’

DIFFERENCES in the way the sexes misuse drugs and alcohol — such as women’s greater likelihood of misusing prescription drugs — highlight the need for gender-specific policies when tackling substance misuse, according to the Women’s Health Council (WHC).

Measures which should be addressed when examining ways to treat women engaged in substance misuse include the need to incorporate childcare facilities in treatment services, the council said.

Specifically, the council recommends that:

* A health campaign be developed and run to address rates of prescription and use of prescription drugs (tranquillisers/sedatives and anti- depressants) among women and that prescribing patterns also be reviewed.

* The Health Service Executive (HSE) develops and implements a strategy to provide childcare facilities as part of treatment and rehabilitation services for women as a matter of priority.

* Integrated treatment services be provided, particularly for pregnant women, where, at the moment, services often do not continue beyond the birth.

* Gender be integrated into the core of any new national drugs or substance misuse strategy.

* Education on the particular effects of drug misuse for women be provided in schools and community settings.

The council also called for gender-sensitive alcohol policies: “The Women’s Health Council believes it is essential that women are educated about the gender differences associated with alcohol use, particularly the differences in how men and women metabolise alcohol, and the fact that women suffer more negative health affects at lower doses of alcohol than men.”

In a series of papers published yesterday on substance misuse, the council highlighted a number of issues. According to them, the availability of crèche facilities encourages women to attend treatment. Women were also shown to be twice as likely as men to have benzodiazepines prescribed to them for “non-clinical” symptoms such as stress, grief, physical pain or adjustment to a major life change — and to have them prescribed for longer periods.

The council also referred to the increased opportunities for women in society, leading to women having more opportunities to drink. Research cited found that single women are more likely to drink heavily and experience alcohol-related problems than married or widowed women.

Research also found that role deprivation, where a woman loses the role of mother, wife or worker, has been linked with alcohol- related problems.

In addition, the council highlighted the consequences of alcohol use among young women (aged under 17 years), “as alcohol- related hospital discharge figures for this group are proportionally much higher than for other groups of women”.

“This may be indicative of a trend for increased alcohol-related morbidity among middle-aged women in the future,” the council said.