Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T17:58:38.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Alcohol and Drug Misuse Among Women – An Overview

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

Edna Oppenheimer*
Affiliation:
Addiction Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF

Abstract

Most research into substance misuse has focused on men but the problem among women is considerable and the social consequences and causation differ between the sexes. In the US, one-third of alcohol abusers are women and in the UK 1% of women are estimated to be drinking at a dangerous level. Drug and alcohol misuse holds additional problems for women since abusers tend to be of childbearing age. Rehabilitation units and prevention strategies would benefit more women substance abusers if they were tailored to suit their specific needs.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1991 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abel, E. L. (1984) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects. New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (1988) Aids and Drugs Misuse, Part 1. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Barrison, I. G., Waterson, E. J. & Murray-Lyon, I. M. (1985) Adverse effects of alcohol in pregnancy. British Journal of Addiction, 80, 1122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Binion, V. J. (1979) A descriptive comparison of the families of origin of women heroin users and non-users. In Addicted Women, Family Dynamics, Self Perception, and Support Systems. Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Google Scholar
Binion, V. J. (1982) Sex differences in socialization and family dynamics of female and male heroin users. Journal of Social Issues, 38, 4357.Google Scholar
Breeze, E. (1985) Women & Drinking (an enquiry carried out on behalf of the Department of Health & Social Security). London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Bry, B. H. (1983) Predicting drug abuse: review and reformulation. International Journal of the Addictions, 18, 223233.Google Scholar
Burt, M. R., Glynn, T. J. & Sowder, B. J. (1985) Psychosocial Characteristics of Drug-A busing Women. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Google Scholar
Cook, C. C. H. (1988) The Minnesota model in the management of drug and alcohol dependency: miracle, method or myth? Part 1. The philosophy and the programme. British Journal of Addiction, 83, 625634.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curlee, J. (1967) Alcoholic women. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 31, 154163.Google Scholar
De Leon, G. (1984) The Therapeutic Community: Study of Effectiveness (Treated Research Monograph Series). Rockville, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Google Scholar
Deren, S. (1986) Children of substance abusers: a review of the Literature. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 3, 7794.Google Scholar
Edwards, G. (1988) Which treatments work for drinking problems? British Medical Journal, 296, 45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gerada, C., Dawe, S. & Farrell, M. (1990) Management of the pregnant opiate user. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 43, 138141.Google ScholarPubMed
Glanz, A. & Taylor, C. (1986) Findings of a national survey of the role of general practitioners in the treatment of opiate misuse: extent of contact with opiate misusers. British Medical Journal, 293, 427430.Google Scholar
Goddard, E. & Ikin, C. (1988) Drinking in England and Wales in 1987. London: HMSO/OPCS.Google Scholar
Home Office (1990) Statistical Bulletin. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence (1990) Drug Misuse in Britain; statistical audit. London: ISDD Google Scholar
Johnston, L. D., O'Malley, P. M. & Bachman, J. G. (1985) Use of Licit and Illicit Drugs by America's High School Students 1975–1984. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Kalant, H. (1971) Absorption, diffusion, distribution, and elimination of ethanol: effects on biological membranes. In The Biology of Alcoholism, Vol. 1, Biochemistry (eds Kissin, B. & Begleiter, H.). New York: Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Kruse, J. (1984) Alcohol use during pregnancy. Americal Family Physician, 29, 199203.Google ScholarPubMed
Nadeau, L. (1978) Women's issues in the therapeutic community patriarchy and male protection as counter-therapeutic. Addiction Therapist, 2, 7173.Google Scholar
National Association of Health Authorities (1989) Briefing: Alcohol and National Drink Wise Day. Birmingham: NAHA.Google Scholar
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (1985) The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Fact Sheet. Rockville, Maryland: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol Information.Google Scholar
National Institute on Drug Abuse (1979) Drug Dependence in Pregnancy: Clinical Management of Mother and Child. Rockville, Maryland: NIDA.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1990) Mortality Statistics/Causes. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Paolino, T. J., McCready, B. S. & Diamond, S. (1978) Statistics on alcoholic marriages: an overview. International Journal of Addiction, 13, 12851293.Google Scholar
Piazza, N. J., Vrbka, J. L. & Yeager, R. D. (1989) Telescoping of alcoholism in women alcoholics. International Journal of the Addictions, 24, 1928.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rachal, J. V., Maisto, S. A., Guess, L. L., et al (1982) Alcohol use among youth. In Alcohol Consumption and Related Problems. Alcohol and Health Monograph. No. 1. Washington, DC: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Google Scholar
Reed, B. (1981) Intervention strategies for drug dependent women: an introduction. In Treatment Services for Drug Dependent Women, Vol. 1. Rockville, Maryland: NIDA.Google Scholar
Rohsenow, E. J., Corbett, R. & Devine, D. (1988) Molested as children; a hidden contribution to substance abuse? Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 5 (suppl. 1), 1318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roman, P. A. (1988) Women and Alcohol use: A Review of the Research Literature. Rockville, Maryland: US Department of Health and Human Services.Google Scholar
Rosen, T. V. & Johnson, H. L. (1985) Long-term effects of prenatal methadone maintenance. In Current Research on the Consequences of Maternal Drug Abuse. Rockville, Maryland: NIDA.Google Scholar
Rosenbaum, M. (1981) Women on Heroin. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press.Google Scholar
Royal College of General Practitioners (1986) Alcohol: A Balanced View. London: Royal College of General Practitioners.Google Scholar
Royal College of Physicians: The Working Party on Alcohol (1987) A Great and Growing Evil: The Medical Consequences of Alcohol Abuse. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (1987) Drug Scenes: A Report on Drug Dependence. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Sheehan, M., Oppenheimer, E. & Taylor, C. (1988) Who comes for treatment: drug misusers at 3 London agencies. British Journal of Addiction, 83, 311320.Google Scholar
Smith, E. M. & Cloninger, C. R. (1981) Alcoholic females: mortality at 12 year follow-up. Focus on Women, 2, 113.Google Scholar
Smith, E. M., Cloninger, C. R. & Bradford, S. (1983) Predictors of mortality in alcoholic women. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 7, 237243.Google Scholar
Social Services Committee (1985) Misuse of Drugs with Special Reference to Treatment and Rehabilitation of Misusers of Hard Drugs (4th Report). London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Stressguth, A. P. (1983) Alcohol and pregnancy: an overview and an update. Substance and Alcohol Actions/Misuse, 4, 49171.Google Scholar
Thom, B. (1986) Sex differences in help-seeking for alcohol problems – 1. The barriers to help-seeking. British Journal of Addiction, 81, 777788.Google Scholar
US Department of Health & Human Services (1983) The effects of alcohol on pregnancy outcome. In Fifty Special Reports to the US Congress on Alcohol and Health. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Google Scholar
Williams, C. N. & Klerman, L. V. (1985) Female Alcohol Abuse: Its effects on the family. In Alcohol Problems in Women (eds Wilsnack, S. C. & Beckman, L. J.). New York: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Wilsnack, R. W., Wilsnack, S. C. & Klassen, A. D. (1984) Women's drinking and drinking problems: patterns from 1981 national survey. American Journal of Public Health, 74, 12311238.Google Scholar
Wilsnack, R. W., Wilsnack, S. C. & Klassen, A. D. (1984/85) Drinking and drinking problems among women in a US national survey. Alcohol Health and Research World, 9, 313.Google Scholar
Wilson, P. (1980) Drinking in England and Wales. London: HMSO/OPCS.Google Scholar
Youcha, G. (1986) Women and Alcohol. New York: Crown Publishers.Google Scholar
Zuckerman, B. (1985) Developmental consequences of maternal drug use during pregnancy. In Current Research on the Consequences of Maternal Drug Abuse. Rockville, Maryland: National Institute on Drug Abuse.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.