GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS

Objective: The goals of this study were to explore gender differences in demographic variables, psychiatric comorbidity, and personality dis orders in individuals with substance use disorders. Method: A total of 100 treatment-seeking substance users (50 men and 50 women) admitted to a university-based and a university-affiliated private chemical dep endency hospital were compared with regard to demographic variables an d comorbid psychiatric and personality diagnosis according to the Stru ctured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R after 14-21 days in treatment. Results: Men were significantly more likely to have a higher househol d income and to be alcohol dependent. Women were significantly more li kely to have another axis I disorder in addition to substance use diso rder, particularly anxiety disorders, but these gender differences wer e not substantially different from the gender prevalence of these diso rders in the general population. Men bad more affective disorders rela tive to women than would be expected from the general population data. Female alcoholics had substantially more psychopathology than male al coholics, and generally these differences were consistent with the rat ios of these disorders in the general population. For cocaine users, f emale/male ratios of anxiety and affective disorders were inconsistent with general population ratios and indicated more psychopathology tha n would be expected in male cocaine users. There were no gender differ ences in axis II diagnoses. Conclusions: Some of the gender difference s in psychopathology in substance users are at odds with gender differ ences for psychopathology in the general population. Further explorati on of these differences could have important theoretical and treatment implications.