Women and substance use : current status, future directions

Abstract

An important requirement for successful policy and practice responses to drug use and substance use and related disorders that foster wellbeing is to consider the impact of gender. Women experience different addiction career pathways to men and consequently face different intervention and reintegration challenges. While in Europe, drug use, and especially problematic use, is more prevalent among men than women, the gender gap may be narrowing. However, female substance users show differing patterns of use and related problems tend to develop more rapidly than men. Often their drug use related problems develop in the context of an intimate relation with a male drug user. The health correlates emanating from problem drug use are also gendered. Lower and more covert drug use amongst women has resulted in less knowledge about the development of problematic substance use amongst women and consequently women may find it harder to access treatment programmes developed with their needs in mind. Female substance users are often exposed to social vulnerability and violence. The different addiction career trajectories present a challenge of developing appropriate responses for women that adequately and effectively address women’s specific needs and wellbeing. This chapter will engage with the gendered dimension of problem drug use. A focus on the Maltese context and implications for wellbeing will be maintained.