Exploring African‐American womens' experiences with substance use treatment: A review of the literature

Abstract

The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize evidence on treatment barriers among African‐American women who seek treatment for substance use disorders. The authors reviewed articles from 1995 to 2018 on the topic of substance use disorders among African‐American women. Based on the review of 13 articles, we found African‐American women were more likely to encounter treatment readiness barriers compared to access barriers and system‐related barriers. Personal and interpersonal barriers were more readily identified throughout the literature reviewed. However, African‐American women did encounter other barriers such as access‐ and system‐related barriers. In addition, the intersection of race, gender, and class was not addressed in the specific articles, but should be considered when working to remove treatment barriers for this population. While prevalence of alcohol and drug use is limited among African‐American women, it is important to understand how treatment readiness barriers may limit successful completion of treatment and ongoing progress. Implications for treatment and future research in addressing barriers to treatment for African‐American women are discussed.

Organizational access points and substance use disorder treatment utilization among Black women: a longitudinal cohort study

“…Overall, SUD treatment utilization decreased over time, in line with prior studies that demonstrate low treatment retention rates, particularly among Black women (Redmond et al, 2020 ). Not surprisingly, the prison sample had higher treatment utilization than either the community or probation samples.…”

“…Structural racism and historical policies have contributed to the overrepresentation of Black women in the penal system (Bailey et al, 2017 ; Dettlaff & Boyd, 2020 ; Hill, 2004 ). Consequently, these women encounter additional hurdles due to their intersecting marginalized identities (Link & Oser, 2018 ; Perry et al, 2012 , 2013 , 2016 ; Redmond et al, 2020 ). Historically, the “War on Drugs” mentality and its’ both punitive and empirically ineffective enforcement practices have disproportionately negatively affected Black mothers in the United States (Chin, 2013; Cloud and Davis, 2015).…”

Estimating substance use disparities across intersectional social positions using machine learning: An application of group-lasso interaction network.

“…Our findings emphasize that prevention and treatment of substance use and disorder among women remains a significant public health concern (Greenfield et al, 2007;Redmond et al, 2020), with our results especially indicating priority for SGM women (L. Drabble & Eliason, 2012;Kidd et al, 2022). These efforts should focus on relevant factors at the individual level, as well as reform that targets systemic marginalization.…”

Treatment Outcomes Among Black Adults Receiving Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

“…Literature has shown, compared to men, women typically experience more psychosocial and medical vulnerabilities that hinder OUD treatment initiation and engagement [ 51 , 52 ]. These treatment barriers are even greater for Black women who face additional systemic barriers [ 53 ]. Even with the additional barriers to treatment, women tend to have similar treatment outcomes as men once engaged in OUD treatment [ 34 , 54 ].…”