Experiences of Women with Substance Use Disorders in Treatment Centers: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

Women with substance use problems also make up a population with gender-specific needs, which has not received enough attention in the development of policies and treatment services. The gap in gender specific interventions remains evident, although there is an increasing number of Filipino women seeking treatment for Substance Use Disorder (SUD). This study aims to describe the experiences of Filipino women in SUD treatment centers and identify the barriers to treatment engagement, and gaps in services, and perceived gender responsive support through case study. Homogenous sampling was used to select four women who were in treatment within the years 2016 and 2017. All participants are single, from upper middle class families and were enrolled in private treatment facilities. Findings revealed that barriers to treatment engagement primarily occur in intrapersonal context such as shame, trauma, and co-occurring medical and mental health issues; and lack of access to women only support group. Structural gaps are evident including lack of female counselors, absence of trauma-informed care, and generic policies and processes that affect women. It is noted that recovery support is widely available but it is not specifically responsive to the unique needs of women. 

Authors:

Ma Veronica Felipe, RPsy, ICAP I

Colombo Plan – Drug Advisory Programme

Therese C. Castillo, RPsy, ICAP I

Seagulls Flight Foundation, Inc.