Women with co-occurring addictive and mental disorders: an emerging profile of vulnerability

The heterogeneity of those with co-occurring addictive and mental disorders has only recently begun to be recognized, and treatment strategies for different segments of this population are still being developed. This article reviews the literature on alcohol and drug problems in women, and on women with severe mental illness who are at high risk for substance abuse--as well as other forms of abuse and deprivation--due to poverty and victimization. As public health and mental health agendas are threatened by budget cuts, it is critical that initial gains in acknowledging and addressing their needs not be lost or abandoned.