The Use of Psychotherapeutic Drugs by Middle-Aged Women

Linn, Lawrence S.; Davis, Matthew

doi:10.2307/2137077

Cited by 35 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It would thus appear that white 'long-term users' either lack access to potentially supportive social resources or find that those who are available are unsupportive and a poor substitute for tranquillisers. In such circumstances the existing pattern of drug use is likely to be maintained; a conclusion which is also in line with the findings of other researchers who have explored the relationship between social supports and long-term psychotropic drug use (Linn et al 1971;Borgman 1973: 526-32;Murray et al 1982Murray et al : 1595.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Prescribed Drug Use and the Management of Everyday Life: The Experiences of Black and White Working-Class Women

Gabe¹,

Thorogood²

1986

The Sociological Review

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Social scientific studies of prescribed drag use have played an important part in heightening awareness that their use can best be understood when considered within a social context. From a sociological point of view, however, these studies often suffer from limitations which restrict their descriptive and explanatory power. This paper discusses these limitations before attempting to develop an alternative approach which focuses on the meanings attached to prescribed drug use, and relates these meanings to the ways in whch the users of these drugs manage their everyday lives as members of particular collectivities. In order to bridge the gap between stracture and experience prescribed drugs are conceptualised as resources which, along with other material and socio‐cultural resources, are both differentially available and variously experienced. Taking minor tranquillisers/hypnotics (e.g. Valium, Mogadon) as a test case attention is focused first on these drags' availability to samples of black and white working‐class women and the meanings which they attribute to these drags. The different patterns of drug use which are found are then related to these women's varying access to and experience of a range of other resources (including paid work, social supports, leisure, cigarettes and religion). This provides a basis for explaining different patterns of drug use and hopefully illustrates the usefulness of ‘resource’ as a bridging concept between social structure and everyday life.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Prescribed Drug Use and the Management of Everyday Life: The Experiences of Black and White Working-Class Women

Gabe¹,

Thorogood²

1986

The Sociological Review

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“…(b) Studies using patient self-report as the measure of physical health Some studies have sought to relate the patient's self-perception of physical health to the use of psychotropic medication. One measure of perceived health status is visiting the doctor, and the unanimous finding is that, compared with nonusers, users of psychotropic drugs are more likely to have visited their doctor within a specified period prior to the survey (Linn & Davies, 1971;Fejer & Smart, 1973;Hemminki, 19746;Pflanz et al 1977). Consultation is, however, a poor measure of perceived physical health.…”

Section: (Ii) Surveys Of Hospital Patientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical ill-health and psychotropic drug prescription – a review

Williams¹

1978

Psychol. Med.

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SynopsisThis review collates evidence of substantial physical morbidity in patients who receive psychotropic drugs, and evidence that these drugs are not infrequently prescribed for patients with known physical illness. Minor tranquillizers are the psychotropic drugs most commonly prescribed, and the category of physical illness most likely to be associated with psychotropic medication is cardiovascular disease.

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“…Firstly, we are told by the 'no-objections' advocates, the 'early' Parry (1968) Linn and Davis (1971), that for women there is no well-structured and traditional opposition to the use of psychotropics. No reference in this work is made to the unintended, public consequences of use for female users as a social group.…”

Section: The Type Of Advocatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychotropics, sociology and women: are the ‘halcyon days’ of the ‘malestream’ over?

Ettorre

Riska

1993

Sociology Health & Illness

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The purpose of this paper is to lay the foundation for the development of a gender-sensitive perspective on psychotropic drug use. This paper reviews existing research on psychotropic drug use and highlights gender biases in three ways. First, a review of the early work on gender differences in tranquilliser use reveals how 'one-dimensional' accounts are offered by proponents who are either 'no-objections', 'cautious-noanswer', 'women's-role' or 'political' advocates. Second, with special reference to women, a critical review of the two predominant discourses, the medical and the sociological, are outlined. It is argued that they have a common approach that makes women's drug use invisible. The paper concludes that the approach prevailing in current research is individualistic and gender blind and needs to be complemented with an analysis that problematises gender.

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The Use of Psychotherapeutic Drugs by Middle-Aged Women

Cited by 35 publications

References 6 publications

Prescribed Drug Use and the Management of Everyday Life: The Experiences of Black and White Working-Class Women

Prescribed Drug Use and the Management of Everyday Life: The Experiences of Black and White Working-Class Women

Physical ill-health and psychotropic drug prescription – a review

Psychotropics, sociology and women: are the ‘halcyon days’ of the ‘malestream’ over?

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