Substance Use Disorders in Women

Kathryn Polak; Nancy A Haug; Pamela Dillon; Dace S Svikis

doi:10.1016/j.psc.2023.04.006

Substance Use Disorders in Women

Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2023 Sep;46(3):487-503. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.04.006. Epub 2023 Jun 4.

Authors

Kathryn Polak¹, Nancy A Haug², Pamela Dillon³, Dace S Svikis⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, 806 West Franklin Street, PO Box 842018, Richmond, VA 23284, USA. Electronic address: polakkm@vcu.edu.
² Department of Psychology, Palo Alto University, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
³ Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 East Clay Street, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Institute for Women's Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, 806 West Franklin Street, PO Box 842018, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.

PMID: 37500246
DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2023.04.006

Abstract

Substance use disorder (SUD) is among the leading causes of premature morbidity and mortality and imposes significant health, economic, and social burdens. Gender differences have been found in the development, course, and treatment of SUD, with women at increased risk for physiologic and psychosocial consequences compared with men. Reasons for these differences are multifold and include biological, genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. This article discusses SUD among women, emphasizing clinical considerations for care. Specific topics include epidemiology, sex and gender differences, common comorbidities, screening, diagnosis, treatment, pregnancy, and sociocultural factors.

Keywords: Addiction; Female; Gender differences; Pregnancy; Risk factors; Substance use disorder; Treatment outcomes; Women.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Comorbidity
Female
Humans
Male
Pregnancy
Sex Factors
Substance-Related Disorders* / epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders* / psychology
Substance-Related Disorders* / therapy