Gender Differences in Treatment Outcomes of Psychoactive Substance Addiction

• In Event: Drugs, traveling, young people, families and gender

Abstract

In recent decades, studies have explored addiction rehabilitation to explain low success rates and identify challenges during and after treatment. A recurring conclusion highlights the lack of gender sensitivity in intervention programs and emphasizes the need for gender-specific approaches to improve outcomes. Despite growing recognition of this issue, implementation remains limited both in Israel and globally. This study examines treatment success, dropout rates, and relapse patterns among men and women, focusing on how gender differences in addiction influence rehabilitation outcomes. The main hypothesis suggests that gender-sensitive programs lead to higher success rates and lower dropout and relapse rates. This longitudinal study includes two interview phases: one during treatment and another up to five years post-treatment. The findings reinforce existing literature, highlighting the gender-specific complexities in treating women with addiction issues. The study found that women's patterns of psychoactive substance use are more severe compared to men, and they enter treatment with more serious medical, psychological, and psychiatric profiles. Additionally, the study indicates that a higher percentage of men maintain abstinence from psychoactive substances after completing treatment. The lecture will detail these findings and discuss their implications for developing gender-sensitive intervention programs.

Author

• Fertouk Michal, Western Galilee Academic college