A Qualitative Study of Treatment Needs Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Substance Use and Depression

For nearly three decades, drug courts have provided a rehabilitative approach within the criminal justice system for individuals who have a substance use disorder. The goal of drug courts is to reduce criminal recidivism, and research has consistently suggested that participants that graduate drug court are less likely to recidivate than those who are terminated from the program. This qualitative study adds to the literature by asking drug court participants ( N = 42) their views on the most helpful aspects of the program that support them in graduating and how the program could be more helpful to support them in graduating. Two themes emerged from the data: (1) participants felt that interventions that are common to drug courts, such as drug testing and having frequent contact with the judge, were most helpful in supporting them in graduating the program; (2) participants felt that the agencies that offered treatment for their substance use disorders used punitive tactics and judgmental approaches that compromised the quality of treatment they received, and they felt that this was a barrier to them graduating the program. The findings are discussed in reference to drug court practice.

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Treatment Needs of Men and Women with Violence Problems In Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Substance Use & Misuse ◽

10.1080/10826080902960007 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (9-10) ◽

pp. 1236-1262 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Stephen T. Chermack ◽

Regan L. Murray ◽

Jamie J. Winters ◽

Maureen A. Walton ◽

Brenda M. Booth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Substance Use Disorder ◽

Treatment Needs ◽

Substance Use Disorder Treatment ◽

Men And Women ◽

Disorder Treatment

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Treatment service related needs and concerns of women with substance use disorders: a qualitative study

International Journal of Culture and Mental Health ◽

10.1080/17542863.2017.1334076 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 123-133

Author(s):

Reni Thomas ◽

R. Dhanasekara Pandian ◽

Pratima Murthy

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

Treatment Service

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Pregnancy and Fetal Loss Reported by Methamphetamine-Using Women

Substance Abuse Research and Treatment ◽

10.4137/sart.s14125 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. SART.S14125 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mary-Lynn Brecht ◽

Diane M. Herbeck

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Risk Behaviors ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Fetal Loss ◽

National Sample ◽

Treatment Needs ◽

Treatment Services ◽

And Gender ◽

Pregnant And Parenting Women

To better understand substance use disorder treatment needs of pregnant and parenting women who use methamphetamine (MA), this paper describes pregnancy histories and fetal losses for women who were treated for MA use (N = 153) with reference to a national sample, and describes their drug use, sexual risk behaviors, and mental health status. MA users reported an average of 4.6 total pregnancies and 2.1 fetal losses, whereas women in a general population survey reported 3.2 and 1.2, respectively. Higher numbers of pregnancies and fetal losses were correlated with specific substance abuse and mental health problems including early sexual abuse and cognitive problems. The combination of MA users’ especially high numbers of pregnancies, fetal losses, and rates of risk behaviors suggest high social and health care costs for this population. Prenatal care may provide a vector through which women can be connected to risk reduction interventions and gender-responsive treatment services addressing substance use and mental health needs.

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