Researchers say women also more likely to expect it to get better on its own
KCJJ Staff
03/03/19
A recent study led by University of Iowa researchers has found women are less likely to seek treatment for alcoholism than men are.
The study conducted by researchers in the UI College of Public Health and the Public Health Institute in Oakland, Calif., found women “had much lower odds” of utilizing any alcohol service, special services, and 12-step groups. And while there was no gender difference for those who didn’t think they need help – about five percent for each – the study found women are twice as likely to think the problem will get better on its own.
Researchers found women and men suffer from an equivalent number of barriers to seeking treatment and list them in roughly the same order, with embarrassment being the top reason for both.
The study looked at data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which had 2,592 participants who met DSM 4 criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence from 2000 to 2001. While many of the findings confirm previous studies’ information, lead researcher Paul Gilbert, an assistant professor in the UI College of Public Health, says it is the first to determine specific reasons why they didn’t seek help.
However, he says it didn’t look at the deeper issue of why the differences exist between the two genders and their approach to treatment.
The study was published in the February edition of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.