Significant disparities in alcohol treatment completion rates among women of color in the United States have been found in a groundbreaking study by the Public Health Institute’s Alcohol Research Group. The research highlights a stark contrast in the success rates between racially and ethnically minoritized women and White men.
Specifically, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women experience completion rates that are 12.4, 9.1, 10.3, and 4.8 percentage points lower, respectively, than their White male counterparts.
This study is notable for its intersectional approach, examining the combined effects of race, ethnicity, and gender on treatment outcomes. Despite adjusting for variations in the severity of treatment need across different groups, the disparities remained significant, suggesting that factors beyond clinical need contribute to these inequities.
Women of color face numerous obstacles in accessing and completing treatment, including limited access to services, childcare responsibilities, workplace inflexibility, discrimination, and a lack of culturally sensitive treatment options.
The findings underscore the urgent need for systemic changes to address these inequities and improve treatment accessibility and effectiveness for all, particularly for the most marginalized communities. The research team calls for increased awareness and targeted interventions to dismantle the barriers faced by women of color in substance use treatment programs.
See “Hidden Inequities: Intersectional Study Uncovers Stark Disparities in Substance Use Treatment Completion Among Women of Color” on the Public Health Institute website (February 1, 2024)
