A comparison of a specialist women's alcohol and other drug treatment service with two traditional mixed-sex services: client characteristics and treatment outcome.

Eighty subjects from a specialist women's service (SWS) and eighty subjects from two traditional mixed-sex treatment services (TMS) were recruited to a comparative, longitudinal study of changes in alcohol and other drug associated problems. Both the SWS and the TMS programs were principally based on the traditional disease model and the 12-step philosophy but the SWS employed only female staff and provided residential childcare. The SWS succeeded in attracting significantly more lesbian women, women with dependent children, women sexually abused in childhood and with a maternal history of substance dependence than the TMS. Six months following treatment there were no significant differences in any measure of treatment outcome between the two treatment groups. The results suggest that the simple provision of women-only treatment and childcare without changing treatment content does not substantially improve treatment outcome in women with severe alcohol and other drug related problems.