Women's and men's experiences in group therapy for substance use disorders: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

Background and Objectives This thematic analysis of qualitative interviews from participants in Stage II randomized controlled trial examined women's and men's experiences in group therapy for substance use disorders (SUDs). Methods Interviews were conducted with 77 women and 38 men after completion of either the gender‐specific Women's Recovery Group (WRG) or mixed‐gender Group Drug Counseling (GDC). Interviews were coded for themes using a deductive approach with a coding scheme modified from the Stage I trial. Satisfaction was measured quantitatively posttreatment. Results Participants had high satisfaction scores with no significant differences between groups. Women in GDC rated group gender composition as less helpful than those in WRG. In the GDC group, women more frequently discussed the theme of self‐perception (e.g., feelings of comfort, safety, shame) compared with men. Men overwhelmingly expressed the benefits of having women in the group, whereas women expressed advantages and disadvantages of mixed‐gender groups and preference for single‐gender groups. Guilt and shame were discussed by women and men; however, only women discussed stigma and its important role in their addiction and recovery. Discussion and Conclusion Men more frequently endorsed the helpfulness of mixed‐gender groups than did women while women appreciated the enhanced support in single‐gender SUD groups. Issues of stigma are especially salient for women. Scientific Significance Men and women express differences in their experiences of SUD group therapy. Only women endorse stigma as an obstacle to their treatment and recovery. Tailoring treatment to meet women's and men's needs may enhance engagement, retention, and clinical outcomes.

Counselling approaches and characteristics of recovering substance use disorder counsellors working in addiction treatment agencies in New York, USA

“…The formal training participants received before entering the field, which gave them the confidence and skills to use them when they started to work as counsellors in addiction treatment agencies, had an impact on their decisions to use CBT and MI approaches in this study. Findings from Abu Hassan Shaari and Waller (2023); Sadiron et al (2019) and Sugarman, Meyer, Reilly, and Greenfield (2022) reported that support groups are effective in assisting SUD clients in developing a sense of acceptance towards their past experiences. Similar to this study, participants described support groups as providing an opportunity for SUD clients to share recovery stories with other group members and to form a sense of cohesiveness.…”

Parent preferences for peer connection in virtual mental health and parenting support platforms

“…Related research has focused on group therapy for substance abuse with most being on cisgender women's experiences, showing that singlegender groups may enhance support and affiliation (e.g., Greenfield et al, 2013;Sugarman et al, 2016). One study looking at both cis men and cis women similarly found that men mostly perceived benefits of having women in substance abuse groups while women perceived both disadvantages and advantages to mixed-gender groups, in turn preferring single-gender groups more than men (Sugarman et al, 2022). Qualitative findings showed that cis women perceived enhanced intimacy, support, empathy and ability to be open and honest about their life circumstances in all-women groups while cis men preferred mixed-gender groups due to the perceived enhanced empathy and support (Sugarman et al, 2022).…”

Supporting people affected by problematic alcohol, substance use and other behaviours under pandemic conditions: A pragmatic evaluation of how SMART recovery Australia responded to COVID-19

“…Indeed, recent evidence suggests that women seeking treatment for addictive behaviours may prefer single gender groups. ( Sugarman et al, 2022 ) Telehealth may also help to overcome a range of barriers encountered by women when trying to access treatment and support. ( Goldstein et al, 2018 )…”

“…However, virtual delivery of groups also comes with a range of practical and clinical challenges (e.g., connectivity, safety and size). ( Sugarman et al, 2022 , Sugarman et al, 2021 ) The impact of these challenges on the delivery, experience and effectiveness of online treatment and support is unclear. Further research is needed to understand how best to optimise online service provision for addictive behaviours.…”