Supporting Women with Complex Needs to Access Appropriate Treatment

The global increase in women who report drug and alcohol use underscores the importance of understanding and addressing barriers to their participation in treatment services. Concerns persist about the gender gap in treatment attendance, with evidence suggesting a struggle to meet the complex needs of women who use drugs and alcohol. This chapter presents a narrative review of the literature that examines access to treatment for women with substance use disorders, with a focus on factors such as stigma, economic disadvantage, domestic violence, sex work, pregnancy, maternal responsibilities, comorbid mental health difficulties and lack of family support. Structurally determined factors such as lack of integrated care and deficits in treatment services’ response to women with complex needs will also be discussed. A comprehensive understanding of barriers faced by women with complex needs is crucial for enhancing treatment success. This review identifies and discusses the known factors that influence women’s access to recovery pathways, with the objective of pinpointing research gaps and proposing future research, policy and practice directions. To ensure effective treatment responses, gender-specific considerations must be integrated into policy and practice frameworks. Recognising how gender shapes the experiences of women with substance use disorders is imperative for establishing customised and sustainable recovery pathways. This narrative review contributes to the ongoing dialogue on women’s substance use treatment by highlighting key challenges and advocating for a gender-sensitive approach at all levels of intervention.