Women who Use Drugs: Pattern of Substance Use and Relapse

Addiction is a chronic and recurrent disease, and many people return to substance abuse shortly after treatment. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of drug abuse relapse and to investigate its related factors among addicted women. This cross-sectional study was performed in 2020 on 200 women who used drugs, and who were seeking treatment in the outpatient addiction treatment centers in Sanandaj. The participants were selected by the convenience sampling method. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire through face-to-face interviews, and analyzed by independent t-test, chi-square, and logistic regression procedures. The mean age of the respondents was 37.75 ± 10.49, and the mean age at the first drug use was 24.21 ± 8.96 years. Age at first use, family history of addiction, type of drug used, attendance at the meetings of the Narcotics Anonymous Association (NA), history of childhood sexual abuse, and experience of physical violence were among the factors influencing the relapse of substance abuse in women (p < .05). The results show that contextual, behavioral, and demographic factors affect the relapse of drug use in women. Therefore, designing and implementing interventions based on the results of the present study can be effective in preventing relapse in women.

Cite this article as: Bashirian, S., Barati, M., Mohammadi, Y., Ghazanfari Zarnagh, H., & Bagheri, S. (2021). Women who use drugs: Pattern of substance use and relapse. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 8(2), 108-112.