Familial Influences on Treatment and Substance Use Among Mothers Engaged in Prostitution

Abstract

Objectives This study explores how the family system, which includes family members, romantic partners, and children, influences substance use treatment decisions and behaviors among women engaged in street‐level prostitution. Background Women engaged in street‐level prostitution can be involved in and benefit from substance use treatment; however, these women report worse treatment outcomes compared with other treatment‐seeking women. Little is known about systemic influences on women's substance use treatment, which may contribute to poor treatment outcomes. Methods Women (n = 15) between the ages of 20 and 53 years participated in qualitative interviews exploring their perceptions of how their family system influenced substance use treatment decisions and behaviors. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze data and identify themes within participant responses. Results Women reported on multiple shared experiences of how family members, romantic partners, and children directly and indirectly influenced their substance use treatment decisions and behaviors. Conclusions Intervention efforts that engage supportive family members and children in women's treatment or support women's positive interactions with family are likely to provide unique advantages compared with individual treatment. Implications Providers serving these uniquely vulnerable women should consider their family systems' influence when conceptualizing and intervening, in an effort to promote better long‐term treatment outcomes.

Prostitution: a new dynamic of discrimination

“…On the other hand, in the prostitution theory, discrimination as a factor of prostitution was not tackled in previous studies. Prostitution has been studied from multiple perspectives (Murnan and Ferber, 2020) but not studied from the discrimination perspective.…”

Residential substance use treatment outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women: Distinct patterns for women enrolled before versus during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…McKeever et al, (2014) highlight the multitude of ways nurses can support the recovering of PPW with SUDs including ongoing substance use and treatment education for women and their families. The role of family, and family functioning has also been linked to treatment engagement for PPW with SUDs(Andrews et al, 2018;Ashley et al, 2003;Louw, 2018;Meyer et al, 2019;Murnan & Ferber, 2021). Thus, treatment considerations for PPW with SUDs should continue to focus on the whole family system, particularly during times of added stress on family systems such as a global pandemic.Given the longevity of the COVID-19 pandemic, examining substances as a coping mechanism and identification of alternative coping skills is imperative for recovery and relapse prevention.…”