title: Group therapy for women with substance use disorders: results from the Women's Recovery Group Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This Stage II trial builds on a Stage I trial comparing the single-gender Women's Recovery Group (WRG) to mixed-gender Group Drug Counseling (GDC) that demonstrated preliminary support for the WRG in treating women with substance use disorders. The Stage II trial aims were to (1) investigate effectiveness of the WRG relative to GDC in a sample of women heterogeneous with respect to substance of abuse and co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and (2) demonstrate the feasibility of implementing WRG in an open-enrollment group format at two sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this randomized clinical trial, participants were included if they were substance dependent and had used substances within the past 60 days (n=158). Women were randomized to WRG (n=52) or GDC (n=48); men were assigned to GDC (n=58). Substance use outcomes were assessed at months 1-6 and 9.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women in both the WRG and GDC had reductions in mean number of substance use days during treatment (12.7 vs 13.7 day reductions for WRG and GDC, respectively) and 6 months post-treatment (10.3 vs 12.7 day reductions); however, there were no significant differences between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The WRG demonstrated comparable effectiveness to standard mixed-gender treatment (i.e., GDC) and is feasibly delivered in an open-group format typical of community treatment. It provides a manual-based group therapy with women-focused content that can be implemented in a variety of clinical settings for women who are heterogeneous with respect to their substance of abuse, other co-occurring psychiatric disorders, and life-stage.
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, United States; McLean Hospital, Division of Women's Mental Health, Belmont, MA 02478, United States. Electronic address: sgreenfield@mclean.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Shelly F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Greenfield
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, United States; McLean Hospital, Division of Women's Mental Health, Belmont, MA 02478, United States.
authors.forename: Dawn E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Sugarman
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States.
authors.forename: Cathryn M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Freid
authors.affiliation: Brown University, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Providence, RI 02912, United States; Stanley Street Treatment and Resources, Fall River, MA 02720, United States.
authors.forename: Genie L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Department of Psychology, Baltimore, MD 21250, United States.
authors.forename: Michele A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crisafulli
authors.affiliation: Miami University, Department of Psychology, Oxford, OH 45056, United States.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; McLean Hospital, Division of Women's Mental Health, Belmont, MA 02478, United States.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wigderson
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Hilary S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Connery
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodolico
authors.affiliation: RTI International, Risk Behavior and Family Research Program, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States.
authors.forename: Antonio A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Morgan-Lopez
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Belmont, MA 02478, United States; Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
authors.forename: Garrett M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fitzmaurice
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014930:Women
keywords: Gender differences; Group therapy; Substance use disorders; Treatment outcomes; Women