National Institute on Drug Abuse Prevention Recommendations from NIDA's Conference on Drug Addiction and the Health of Women

Broad Scope

1. In the fields of etiology and prevention, more information is needed about gender differences and child and adolescent precursors of drug abuse, personality pathways that lead to drug use and progression to abuse and dependence, protective factors, and resiliency and what constitutes invulnerability, as well gender-specific drug abuse prevention strategies.
2. Drug abuse prevention professionals and researchers need to work together to ensure that etiological research results are translated into effective drug abuse prevention programs for women and their children.
3. Prevention and treatment programs must be designed to address the specific research-based risk factors in women, such as sexual and other childhood abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder.
4. Research is needed on prevention efforts for women and adolescent girls who do not have children; most previous research has focused on those who have children.
5. Research is needed to develop effective programs that seek to explore loss of interest in academic success, prevent school dropout for adolescent girls, encourage academic success, assist in the development of social skills (friendships, boyfriends, etc.), and address issues of sexual abuse and mother-daughter relationships. Parent-peer support groups should be included in such programs as well as prevention interventions focused on improving life options and self-esteem.
6. More research is needed on how to assist women with their efforts at harm reduction and the use of new strategies for harm reduction. Women who use drugs need more information about how drugs affect their health so that their efforts at harm reduction are more successful.

Children

1. Prevention programs that focus on children from birth to age 6 need to be developed.

Violence

1. Researchers who seek to develop more effective interventions for women must address complex family relationships and the intergenerational patterns of family violence and alcohol and other drug problems.
2. Researchers need to focus more on the structural and sociocultural factors that keep women in the cycle of drug abuse and violence. Individual and cultural differences need to be recognized when developing intervention strategies and support systems for women experiencing partner violence or drug abuse.

Comorbidity

1. More effective treatment for anxiety and depression may reduce the prevalence of drug abuse in women.

HIV/AIDS

1. Further research and more conclusive studies are needed about how to help women, particularly drug-abusing women, avoid common pathways to HIV infection. How the rights of women can be safeguarded as a community plans programs to prevent HIV transmissions needs to be addressed.

Ethnic/Racial/Cultural Issues and Populations

More studies are needed to examine the racial and ethnic differences in psychosocial predictors and the factors associated with health behaviors and correlates of drug abuse in women. These studies will help to develop more effective intervention programs for drug-abusing women from different racial and ethnic groups.

African-American

1. More research is needed on the identity and psychological development of young African-American females and their vulnerability to developing depression and turning to drug abuse as a way to cope with traumatic life circumstances. How can the needs of African-American women be recognized, and what incentives will help them confront depression and avoid drugs?
2. Research is needed on how to address the need of many drug-abusing African-American women for external support and extended family systems. How can a new sense of family and community involvement be encouraged?

Native American

1. Research is needed on the barriers to drug abuse treatment faced by American Indian women and on prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies that are appropriate to their needs. Better health education and outreach strategies are needed.

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