Little is known about treatment for pregnant and postpartum women with co-occurring substance use and depression. Funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, we conducted three focus groups with 18 pregnant and postpartum women in 2011 at an urban substance use treatment clinic. A semi-structured discussion guide probed for factors impacting treatment outcomes and needs. Data were analyzed using grounded theory. Women identified motivational, family, friend, romantic, and agency characteristics as facilitative or challenging to their recoveries, and desired structure (group treatment, a safe environment, transportation) and content (attention to mental health, family, and gender-specific issues) of treatment.
In the US, marijuana continues to be the most frequently used illicit drug among women of childbearing age, including pregnant and postpartum women. Given the critical window for treatment during the perinatal period, more information is needed about the characteristics of women who abuse marijuana and about their unique needs with the goal of improving clinical services and outcomes for both women and their infants. Objectives: To 1) identify a profile of perinatal women seeking treatment for primarily marijuana abuse, and 2) report birth outcomes in a subset of pregnant women with marijuana abuse. Methods: This retrospective clinical chart review study examined 67 adult perinatal women patients (54% ethnic minority) who attended an inner-city, hospital-affiliated outpatient program specializing in substance abuse treatment for women. Of all pregnant women, 26% reported positive urine screens during the first trimester, 41% during the second trimester, and 27% during the third trimester. While the subset of pregnant women was small, exploratory results suggest that infants whose mothers continued to use marijuana during their pregnancies were born at a lower gestational age than mothers who abstained; t(29) = 2.04, p < 0.05. Conclusion: Identifying potential barriers to treatment could help improve retention in community-based treatment programs during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
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