title: Cross-cultural comparison of clinical samples of Norwegian and Iowan women with substance-related disorders.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare two clinical samples of women substance abusers, one from Iowa and one from Norway, along several dimensions: "substance abuse" history, current "abuse" pattern, parental and spouse drinking history, symptoms of psychological distress, and "vulnerability" to relapse. A higher percentage of women substance abusers from Iowa were divorced and lived alone, were "vulnerable" to relapse, and reported more life problems secondary to their substance use than women from Norway. The Iowa women had used more substances in addition to alcohol than had the Norwegian women. The Norwegian women reported greater intensity of emotional distress than the women from Iowa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Behavioal Health, The College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA. anne-skinstad@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Skinstad
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Swain
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eliason
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerken
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires