Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Dec:66:12-23.
doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.10.012. Epub 2017 Nov 10.

Sex and gender differences in substance use disorders

R Kathryn McHugh  1 , Victoria R Votaw  2 , Dawn E Sugarman  3 , Shelly F Greenfield  3
Affiliations
Review

Sex and gender differences in substance use disorders

R Kathryn McHugh et al. Clin Psychol Rev. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

The gender gap in substance use disorders (SUDs), characterized by greater prevalence in men, is narrowing, highlighting the importance of understanding sex and gender differences in SUD etiology and maintenance. In this critical review, we provide an overview of sex/gender differences in the biology, epidemiology and treatment of SUDs. Biological sex differences are evident across an array of systems, including brain structure and function, endocrine function, and metabolic function. Gender (i.e., environmentally and socioculturally defined roles for men and women) also contributes to the initiation and course of substance use and SUDs. Adverse medical, psychiatric, and functional consequences associated with SUDs are often more severe in women. However, men and women do not substantively differ with respect to SUD treatment outcomes. Although several trends are beginning to emerge in the literature, findings on sex and gender differences in SUDs are complicated by the interacting contributions of biological and environmental factors. Future research is needed to further elucidate sex and gender differences, especially focusing on hormonal factors in SUD course and treatment outcomes; research translating findings between animal and human models; and gender differences in understudied populations, such as those with co-occurring psychiatric disorders and gender-specific populations, such as pregnant women.

Keywords: Female; Gender differences; Risk factors; Substance use disorders; Treatment outcomes; Women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest

All other authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Agabio R, Pani PP, Preti A, Gessa GL, Franconi F. Efficacy of Medications Approved for the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence and Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome in Female Patients: A Descriptive Review. European Addiction Research. 2016;22(1):1–16. doi: 10.1159/000433579. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Al-Otaiba Z, Epstein EE, McCrady B, Cook S. Age-based differences in treatment outcome among alcohol-dependent women. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors. 2012;26(3):423–431. doi: 10.1037/a0027383. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allen AM, McRae-Clark AL, Carlson S, Saladin ME, Gray KM, Wetherington CL, Allen SS. Determining menstrual phase in human biobehavioral research: A review with recommendations. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2016;24(1):1–11. doi: 10.1037/pha0000057. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Allen SS, Allen AM, Lunos S, Tosun N. Progesterone and Postpartum Smoking Relapse: A Pilot Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2016;18(11):2145–2153. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntw156. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alvanzo AA, Storr CL, Mojtabai R, Green KM, Pacek LR, La Flair LN, Crum RM. Gender and race/ethnicity differences for initiation of alcohol-related service use among persons with alcohol dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2014;140:48–55. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.03.010. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types