| 1. |
- Beijer, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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Facets of Male Violence Against Women With Substance Abuse Problems : Women With a Residence and Homeless Women
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Interpersonal Violence. - : SAGE Publications. - 0886-2605 .- 1552-6518. ; 33:9, s. 1391-1411
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aims of this study were to investigate the type and extent to which women with substance abuse problems have been exposed to male violence during their lifetime, and to examine possible differences between women with a residence (WR) and homeless women (HW). The total sample included 79 women (WR, n = 35; HW, n = 44; M age = 47.8 years). Of the total sample, 72 women (91%) had experienced different kinds of male violence, 88% from former partners, and 26% from male friends or acquaintances. Of the 72 women, 71% further reported “Countless occasions of violent events,” and 36% had been forced to commit criminal acts. Abused women who had been forced to commit criminal acts were significantly more frequently found to be homeless, have reported parental alcohol and/or drug problems, have witnessed domestic violence in childhood, have been victims of sexual violence, have used illicit drugs as a dominant preparation, and have injected illicit drugs. Almost half of the abused women (46%) met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where HW showed an almost 4-time higher risk (RR 3.78) than WR. In conclusion there is a particular vulnerability in women with substance abuse to male violence, which has an important impact on their health status. Thus, from a public health perspective, it is suggested that for those women who have experienced male violence, treatment protocols need to include both assessing and addressing the impact of such experience in relation to substance abuse as well as concomitant health concerns.
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| 2. |
- Beijer, Ulla, et al.
(författare)
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Male violence against women with substance abuse problems : some health aspects
- 2015
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The objective was to investigate to which extent two groups of women with substance abuse problems were exposed to male violence; women with a residence (WR, n= 35) and homeless women (HW, n= 44). The sample thus included 79 women (mean age: 47.8 years), of which 91% had experienced different kinds of male violence: from former partners, male friends or acquaintances, and 71% reported “Countless occasions of violent events”. Almost half of the women (46%) met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and HW displayed the higher risk (RR 3.78) as compared to WR. Furthermore, one-third of the abused women (26 out of 72) had been forced to commit criminal acts. Compared to the abused women without this experience, they were more likely: to be homeless, to be illicit drug addicts, to have reported parental alcohol and/or drug problems, to have witnessed domestic violence in childhood, and to have been victims of sexual abuse. Finally, the two groups significantly differed concerning ever having received treatment for mental problems, in that more WR women had received such treatment (74 % as compared to 46 %). In conclusion, it is suggested that experiences of male violence are to be considered in all different forms of treatment facilities for women with substance abuse problems.
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| 3. |
- Birath, Christina Scheffel, et al.
(författare)
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Moods and expectancies of female alcohol drinking - an exploratory study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 24:3, s. 472-481
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gaining access to information concerning mood states and expectations of change preceding a typical drinking occasion is important for understanding the trigger factors for drinking, and for alcohol abuse treatment planning. The objective of the present study was twofold: (i) to explore self-reported states of mood and expectancies preceding a typical drinking occasion vs. relations with parents and drinking outcome; and (ii) to investigate if vulnerability factors in terms of personality and health are related to severity of alcohol problems. The population consisted of 50 women attending a Swedish alcohol clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted. A mixed-methods design was used encompassing qualitative interview-data and quantitative data from questionnaires and medical journals. Nine out of ten patients had a diagnosis of alcohol dependence, and four out of five had parents with dependency problems. As compared to a female norm group, the patients displayed significantly higher anxiety-related traits and irritability. Moods were described by patients as mostly negative and expectancies of change were evenly distributed between reducing, enhancing or flight from feeling. An expectancy of flight when drinking was also related to a positive relation to mother. The findings pointed to the need for differentiating between coping with and expectancies of drinking. Further, a hierarchical cluster analysis resulted in two groups, indicating one group characterized by higher risk values on personality scales and more severe consequences of drinking. The contribution of a treatment design informed through a gender and culture perspective to treatment outcome was discussed.
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| 4. |
- Birath, Christina Scheffel
(författare)
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Women with alcohol problems seeking treatment : underlying individual and psychosocial characteristics
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The consequences of hazardous or harmful alcohol use are both physiological and psychosocial and seem to occur earlier in the use of alcohol for women as compared to men. Seeking treatment for alcohol problems means crossing a threshold; this is especially the case for women who perceive that having an alcohol problem is not compatible with female gender expectations. In the present thesis the complete data sets of 134 women, consecutively seeking treatment during 2001-2005 at a Swedish clinic specialized in women with alcohol problems, were studied. Almost all women fulfilled the criteria of a DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol dependence. The main aims were to explore the women s underlying individual and psychosocial characteristics within a Swedish context, and to examine factors influencing treatment outcomes. In study I we performed a qualitative analysis of data from case journals in order to examine the cultural meanings associated with women with alcohol problems and their seeking treatment for these problems. The findings stressed that cultural factors are of importance for understanding this population, for example they perceived a negative Swedish cultural identity status in relation to their problem drinking. In study II we investigated moods and expectancies before a typical drinking occasion in relation to perceived relations to parents. The findings indicated that the women had expectations of a mood change when drinking and primarily negative feelings, which they wanted to change by drinking. Their perceived relation to parents was positive for only 12% of the women and it was found that a perceived negative relation to mother significantly influenced the amount of drinking in the direction of increased drinking at the end of treatment. In study III factors related to treatment approaches and outcomes for two different samples of problem-drinking women, Swedish and North American, were contrasted. The findings indicated that having the opportunity to receive any type of alcohol treatment is utterly important for reducing harmful drinking to a non-risky level. Study IV investigated whether personality and perceived health characteristics could be of importance for treatment planning. Two clusters were identified. Women in Cluster 1 perceived themselves as having severe psychological health problems, and rated different aspects of their personality deviant from mean norm scores. In Cluster 2 the women perceived better psychological health and had a personality profile within mean norm scores. The women in the clusters differed in treatment utilization: with Cluster 1 having a significantly higher treatment visit rate than those in Cluster 2. Both clusters significantly decreased their drinking; yet there were no differences between the clusters related to decreased alcohol consumption at the end of treatment. In conclusion, the present women with alcohol problems seeking treatment had severe alcohol problems, though they were relatively well-functioning socially. Taken as a group, these women were found to be heterogenic in terms of personality dimensions and perceived self-rated psychological health. Most of them were brought up with one or both parents having alcohol problems and had a relation to their parents influencing their own drinking and treatment outcome, in a negative way. However, availing themselves of treatment helped the women as a group to reduce their drinking.
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| 5. |
- Birath, Christina Scheffel, et al.
(författare)
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Women with Substance Abuse Problems Exposed to Men's Violence - A Public Mental Health Challenge
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy. - : OMICS Publishing Group. - 2155-6105. ; 4:2, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore self-rated physical and psychological health in two groups of women with substance misuse problems, subjected to male violence.Methods: An examination of the health situation for women with substance dependence being exposed to male violence during life. The study took place in a Swedish context exploring data from 35 women with housing (WwH) and 44 homeless women (HW), regarding posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, psychological and physical problems. Mann-Whitney U-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to calculate differences between groups and correlations.Results: The proportion of women being exposed to male violence during life for the studied group was 91% (72 of 79 women; WwH 29; HW 43). It was found that the WwH had physical health problems but compared to the HW, significantly less frequent. Regarding psychological health problems, both groups were suffering from self-reported problems, most notably in variables measuring stress susceptibility and embitterment, where both WwH and HW had scores markedly above norm mean scores. The HW had overall a poorer mental health profile as compared to the WwH. The WwH still maintained a foundation in the society compared to the HW regarding housing (100/0%), and custody over their children (91/0%).Conclusion: The study indicated that women with substance dependence and those who are victims of male violence have major problems with both their psychological and physical health. Particularly vulnerable are the HW. Past experiences of violence that have not been processed can further aggravate the women’s health. Thus, we suggest initiating the process of asking women if they have experienced violence in order to then be able to provide appropriate treatment interventions. For the WwH, this process may lead to a prevention of serious consequences for both their housing situation and for their health.
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| 6. |
- Birath Scheffel, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Barn till våldsutsatta kvinnor med missbruksproblem
- 2014
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med föreliggande rapport är att utifrån insamlade och bearbetade data från ursprungsprojektet 'Studie om mäns våld mot kvinnor med missbruksproblem' sammanställa resultat som speglar barns psykosociala familjesituation där modern har missbruksproblem och i många fall blivit utsatt för manligt våld av partner och/eller släkting, bekant, eller myndighetsperson. Sammanfattningsvis lyfter resultaten, avseende barnens egen ogynnsamma utveckling och den generationsöverskridande problematiken i föreliggande studie, frågan om betydelsen av tidiga interventioner riktade till barn i riskmiljöer. Detta förefaller vara av särskild vikt för att ge underbyggt stöd för aktivt handlande avseende Barns rätt i samhället enligt Barnkonventionen.
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| 7. |
- Birath Scheffel, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Risky drinking women : contrasting therapeutic approaches
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence. - : OMICS Publishing Group. - 2329-6488. ; 2:3, s. 1000160-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The importance of early identification and effective treatment for risky drinking grows with the increasing rate of alcohol use by women. Objectives: This study aims to contrast treatment approaches for two samples of problem drinking women. Methods: The samples consisted of (i) 134 alcohol treatment-seeking Swedish women receiving long-term comprehensive services; and (ii) 152 US women who were not seeking treatment for alcohol but were medical outpatients with one of four conditions exacerbated by excessive alcohol use and received a brief intervention as part of a study. Data consisted of questionnaires assessing alcohol consumption, perceived stress and attitudes towards change. Results: While the treatment-seeking Swedish group drank more alcohol at the start of treatment, all women reduced their consumption of alcohol at the end of treatment/follow-up. Women who reported more stress drank more initially in both samples. Conclusion and Scientific Significance: This report contrasts two “extreme” approaches to treatment: longterm, open-ended, outpatient treatment and, time-limited, structured brief intervention for risky drinking women. Both treatment methods yielded positive results with significantly reduced drinking. Factors associated with successful outcome included the women’s attitudes toward treatment and conviction for the necessity of change in drinking habits.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- DeMarinis, Valerie, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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Cultural Analysis as a Perspective for Gender-Informed Alcohol Treatment Research in a Swedish Context
- 2009
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Ingår i: Alcohol and Alcoholism. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0735-0414 .- 1464-3502. ; 44:6, s. 615-619
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: An exploratory study to investigate the role of culture in women's drinking at a clinic for women with alcohol problems in a Swedish treatment context. METHODS: A content analysis of the case journal material of 20 consecutive female patients at the EWA clinic (Early treatment of Women with Alcohol addiction) in Stockholm, Sweden, was conducted using an original instrument informed by the field of cultural psychiatry and emerging from recurrent themes in the case journals. RESULTS: The patients perceived themselves as having a sub-group status. A trajectory of ritualized actions around drinking, especially private drinking rituals, was identified. Existential components of patients' struggles with addiction in a highly secularized cultural context were identified. Multiple, contradictory explanatory frameworks for understanding drinking problems were creating cognitive dissonance. CONCLUSION: Using cultural analysis as a perspective for gaining gendered information may allow for identifying new patterns within specific cultural and subgroup contexts. It may contribute new information to the following treatment research areas: gender-appropriate measurement issues; service integration; gender-appropriate services for women; and, drinking rituals and patterns.
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| 10. |
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