Impediments to comprehensive treatment models for substance-dependent women: treatment and research questions

A number of factors need to be addressed in order to provide efficacious treatment for drug-dependent women, particularly those who are opioid dependent. If left unaddressed, these factors may reduce the effectiveness of treatment. In addition, evaluation research frequently overlooks the impact of these factors in methodological approaches examining treatment outcomes. This article discusses several of the problems brought to treatment settings by women, considers how these problems impact on current treatment models, examines alternative research approaches to evaluating treatment for women, and focuses on three critical factors regularly overlooked in treatment provision and in research related to women: (1) broader issues of dependency in women; (2) the impact of chaotic early interpersonal relationships on developmental levels; and (3) diagnostic criteria and treatment goals appropriate for women. It attempts to provide an understanding of the impact of these three elements on treatment and on research methodologies in order to provide and evaluate comprehensive and effective treatment for drug-dependent women.