Skip Navigation

British Journal of Social Work 2004 34(6):851-870; doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch105
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (8)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Neale, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Social Work 34/6 © BASW Trading Ltd 2004 all rights reserved

Gender and Illicit Drug Use

Joanne Neale

Dr Joanne Neale is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of York and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow. She completed her social work training at the University of Bradford and subsequently worked in the voluntary sector both with homeless people and with women experiencing domestic violence.

Correspondence to Dr Joanne Neale, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of York, Heslington, York Y010 5DD, UK. E-mail: jsn3{at}york.ac.uk

Summary

There has been no recent large-scale systematic UK investigation of differences between male and female drug users seeking treatment. Equally, there has been no debate within the social work field regarding how best to address any gender-specific needs of drug-using clients. This is despite the fact that social workers frequently work with both drug-dependent individuals and members of their families. This paper examines differences between men and women beginning a new episode of drug treatment in Scotland and considers some of the implications of the findings for social work practice. Data were collected from structured interviews conducted with 1,033 individuals (715 males and 318 females) in a range of treatment settings. Chi-square statistics were computed to investigate sex differences on key categorical variables relating to: (i) patterns of drug use; (ii) education, employment and income; (iii) offending behaviour; (iv) housing circumstances; (v) health status; and (vi) personal relationships. Analyses identified many differences between the men and women interviewed, but also many common difficulties faced by respondents of both sexes. Additionally, the extensive range of problems and stressful life circumstances encountered suggested that the lives of individuals seeking drug treatment were extremely heterogeneous. It is concluded that social workers can employ a range of practical interventions and theoretical approaches when working with both male and female drug-using clients.

Keywords: substance misuse, gender, survey


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.