Gender-Specific Online Content Is Important and Timely for Women Receiving Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Sugarman et al.s' recent study makes an important advancement in the provision of gender-specific interventions for women seeking drug and alcohol treatment. This study is especially important at this time when the world is gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Substance use and relapse are likely to be high during this period, but many drug and alcohol services have been, or may be, forced to switch to online service delivery or telehealth where the evidence base, although increasing, is less robust, especially for very marginalized populations. The problem is further compounded by the mandated isolation measures currently in place in many countries. Such measures may increase the risk of family or intimate partner violence, a problem already prevalent among women with substance use histories. Together these issues place further pressure on gender-specific substance use services at a time when service provision and resources are limited.