The role of social mechanisms of change in women’s addiction recovery trajectories

Abstract

Recovery from substance use addiction is a socially mediated process, with the formation of pro-social networks and engagement in community resources acting as catalysts for growth and change. Gender is a key mediator in pathways into and out of substance use, however literature that considers gender dimensions within the recovery paradigm is limited. This paper presents a secondary analysis of two qualitative studies undertaken with nine women in recovery-recruited based on their engagement with community support services. Thematic analysis of the women's narratives elucidates the role of social mechanisms in the recovery processes of women who are accessing community support, in order to inform progressive policy change that better acknowledges, understands and enhances women's experience of recovery. Based on the emergent themes of trauma; intimate relationships; social networks; and identity, we consider practical implications for community based recovery support.

Differences in addiction and recovery gains according to gender – gender barriers and specific differences in overall strengths growth

“…This supports the notion of overlapping barriers and facilitators as part of women’s experience of recovery [ 26 ]. Further, this finding supports previous research by Collinson and Hall [ 11 ] suggesting that some women report high levels of general health management yet they may continue to require ongoing support around mental health and gender-responsive services that are trauma informed. Our findings emphasise the challenge of positive recovery pathways in spite of managing residual problems relating to psychological health and trauma stemming from domestic violence for women in recovery [ 7 ].…”

“…Despite the increasing interest in lived experiences of those in recovery, little is known around the role gender might play in the journey to recovery [ 19 ]. There is an increasing need for further exploration around the gendered nature of recovery experiences [ 11 , 24 ].…”

Mechanisms and mediators of addiction recovery

“…The paucity of recovery studies that focus on gender issues is addressed in this special issue, not only by the photovoice paper (Van Steenberghe et al, 2021), but also in papers by Collinson & Hall (2021), Kougiali et al (2021), and Andersson et al (2020). Based on a secondary analysis of two qualitative studies of women in recovery, Collinson and Hall (2021) describe recovery as a socially mediated process that involves different recovery mechanisms and mediators for women compared to men. Its implications for communitybased, gender-responsive recovery support are discussed.…”

“…Frequently mentioned resources were supportive social and family environments (Anderson et al, 2021;Dekkers et al, 2021;, recovery-supportive housing facilities (Jason et al, 2021), and personalised and holistic support services (Bellaert et al, 2021;Jouet et al, 2021;Van Steenberghe et al, 2021). Finally, several papers show that women face different challenges compared with men in recovery, as they experience more mental health and family needs (Andersson et al, 2020) and are more often confronted with adverse childhood experiences and multiple stigma (Kougiali et al, 2021), indicating the need for gender-sensitive recovery services (Collinson & Hall, 2021). One outstanding question is whether these observations can be extended to other gender identities not included in these studies.…”

“There’s a big tag on my head”: exploring barriers to treatment seeking with women who use methamphetamine in Sydney, Australia

“…Importantly, relationships were regarded as resource and a driver for treatment seeking and utilisation by participants. This mirrors the growing recognition of the role of significant others (Ariss & Fairbairn, 2020) and social networks as a form of recovery capital (Best, Vanderplasschen, & Nisic, 2020; Collinson & Hall, 2021), and the inclusion of family and friends in treatment planning presents an opportunity to enhance outcomes in MaUD treatment. Further research is required to build the evidence base for family and social network inclusive practices in MaUD treatment.…”