Analysis of the suitability of alcohol treatment resources for women

Abstract

Data from personal interviews and questionnaires were collected from alcoholics in treatment, alcoholism treatment agency directors and community gatekeepers. The health services utilization model proposed investigated individual predisposing factors; client attitudes and beliefs about alcohol, treatment, and health; client personal enabling traits; client social enabling characteristics; and structural characteristics of treatment services. Results discussed include the effects of structural characteristics of treatment agencies on alcoholic women's use of these agencies; gender specific differences in predisposing, personal enabling and social enabling factors and in attitudes and beliefs; ethnic differences among women in personal and environmental barriers to treatment; knowledge, attitudes and referral practices of community gatekeepers; and evaluation of workshop designed to train community gatekeepers to identify and refer alcoholics, particularly women alcoholics.