In addition to their substance use disorders (SUD), women involved in Drug Treatment Court (DTC) face other obstacles that can influence their motivation and ultimately their success in DTC. These include isolation from family, inadequate physical and mental health care, lack of social support, and past trauma. To be successful, women must balance their own motivation against these obstacles. In this study, peer interventionists interviewed 15 women participating in the Women’s Initiative Supportive Health DTC program. The participants were asked about past trauma on the trauma they’d experienced, along with other family and social barriers that may affect success in the program.
The women ranged in age from 20-40+. Thirteen of the women had at least one child and 14 out of 15 participants had experienced incarceration. Nearly all of the women (14 out of the 15) had experienced past trauma, including homelessness, physical or emotional abuse, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault. The women also faced mental and physical health obstacles, as all of the 15 women had histories of chronic health conditions including Hepatitis and HIV. Participants reported their main motivation to maintain their sobriety and to become supportive parents was most influential in completing DTC despite additional obstacles. Accordingly, the women reported that their parenting skills were the most common changed behavior. Participants stated that the second motivation and a source of support to maintain their health and sobriety was their families. Families helped the women in their journey to recovery by encouraging their competence and supporting their autonomy. A third common motivating factor was related to overcoming past trauma.
What can be taken away from this study? First, one of the most important ways to assist women in DTC is to empower them to be autonomous and to support the decision they make in their recovery. Second, past trauma must be taken into account in SUD interventions and treatment. Almost all of the women interviewed had experienced trauma. Finally, family can be a powerful motivator for women to achieve recovery. A supportive family helps reduce SUD among women who are mentally ill and suffer from a SUD. Future interventions should incorporate family or family dynamics into the treatment of women with SUD.
Goldberg, Z. E., Chin, N. P., Alio, A., Williams, G., & Morse, D. S. (January 01, 2019). A Qualitative Analysis of Family Dynamics and Motivation in Sessions With 15 Women in Drug Treatment Court. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 13.