Challenges and Implications for Substance Use and Mental Healthcare Among Under-Resourced Women in the COVID-19 Era.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities in mental healthcare and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment access, especially in under-resourced communities. This study aimed to comprehend the experiences of under-resourced women with SUD during the pandemic, their knowledge and attitudes toward it, and its impact on substance use and treatment access.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 66 under-resourced women receiving medically managed withdrawal treatment at a community residential SUD center.

Expanding Treatment, Recovery, and Reentry Services for Female Offenders: Improving Outcomes through Client-Centered Interventions.

This study investigated the impact of a specialized program aimed at improving substance use disorder and trauma treatment, recovery, and reentry services for adult female offenders. Trained recovery coaches delivered pretreatment interventions such as prescreening, motivational interviewing, and support-building to facilitate treatment entry and improve outcomes. Of 113 participants, 40% identified as racial/ethnic minorities, and 72% fell within the 25-45 age range.

MIRRORS program: Helping pregnant and postpartum women and families with substance use problems.

Pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders are a highly vulnerable population, especially when this is compounded by homelessness or unstable housing, justice involvement, and/or co-occurring mental health challenges. The program provided expanded and enhanced residential substance use disorder treatment, prevention and recovery support for women and children through integrated, trauma-informed care and services strengthened by a comprehensive and coordinated family systems approach. This paper describes the program and provides evaluation of the outcomes.

Preparing Nursing Students to Work With Patients With Alcohol or Drug-Related Problems.

Stigma and insufficient training for addressing alcohol or drug problems in clinical settings are two significant barriers to earlier identification and access to care for patients with alcohol or drug (AOD)-related problems. Nurses are crucial players in this strategy, yet nurses often report poor motivation and insufficient training for working with AOD-affected patients. This article describes and reports preliminary evaluation results of an educational experience that integrated AOD curriculum into a community/public health nursing clinical practicum.