Changes in service use during a trauma-informed intervention for women

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Social Work

Background:

• Women with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders often have histories of interpersonal violence.
• Understanding service utilization patterns is crucial for effective intervention design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine service use patterns in women with co-occurring disorders and histories of interpersonal violence.
• To assess changes in service use associated with a targeted intervention.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 1023 women participating in the Women, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Violence Study.
• Service utilization data was collected to compare intervention and control groups.
• Follow-up assessments were conducted over a six-month period.

Main Results:

• Women in the intervention group showed increased use of outpatient group counseling.
• No significant changes were observed in the use of external services (e.g., emergency room, jail, shelter).
• Use of other services, like individual counseling, did not decrease, suggesting no substitution effect.

Conclusions:

• The targeted intervention successfully increased engagement with a specific service (group counseling).
• Interventions may need to be broader to impact external service use patterns.
• Increased access to one service did not displace the use of others for this population.