“Sex, Gender and Substance Use” describes how both biological and social factors affect people's use of substances. There is a lot of research carried out on substance use, prevention and treatment in which sex and gender are missing. This book describes the concepts of sex and gender, what they mean and why including them in substance use research, practice and policy is vital. Substances such as alcohol, drugs, nicotine, and tobacco all have differential effects on females and males. Social and cultural gendered factors affect how women and men react to prevention, treatment and policies. The book includes numerous examples of how sex- and gender-sensitive research can increase our understanding and improve prevention and treatment, and why striving for gender-transformative substance use practice and research remains a gold standard.

In our society, sex can easily become the price many women pay for love and the illusion of security. A woman who seeks a sense of personal power and an escape from pain may use sex and romance as a way to feel in control, just as an alcoholic uses alcohol; but sex never satisfies her longing for love and self-worth. In this wise and compassionate book, Charlotte Kasl shows women how they can learn to experience their sexuality as a source for love and positive power and sex as an expression that honors the soul as well as the body.

For many years, addiction research focused almost exclusively on men. Yet scientific awareness of sex and gender differences in substance use disorders has grown tremendously in recent decades. This volume brings together leading authorities to review the state of the science and identify key directions for research and clinical practice. Concise, focused chapters illuminate how biological and psychosocial factors influence the etiology and epidemiology of substance use disorders in women; their clinical presentation, course, and psychiatric comorbidities; treatment access; and treatment effectiveness. Prevalent substances of abuse are examined, as are issues facing special populations.

The ebook edition of this title is Open Access and freely available to read online. Examining the impact of drug criminalisation on a previously overlooked demographic, this book argues that women are disproportionately affected by a flawed policy approach.

Historically, mental health clinical research has taken inadequate account of psychosocial disorders experienced by those who identify as sexual and gender minorities, however, researchers have recently begun developing and adapting evidence-based mental health treatment approaches for use with these groups. Handbook of Evidence-Based Mental Health Practice with Sexual and Gender Minorities offers a comprehensive array of evidence-based approaches for treating sexual and gender minority clients' mental health concerns. The interventions detailed here span a diverse spectrum of populations, including sexual and gender minority youth, transgender populations, same-sex couples, sexual minority parents, and bisexual individuals. Chapters also address numerous mental and behavioral health problems, including anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, trauma, body image disturbance, and sexual health. In addition to an overview of the research evidence supporting each clinical presentation and approach, chapters contain practical how-to guidance for therapists to use in their clinical practice. This book reflects a true integration of the best of sexual and gender minority research and the best of evidence-based practice research, presented by the leading experts in the field. As such it is essential reading for mental health professionals who work with these groups, as well as trainees in social work, counseling, and clinical psychology.

Estimates indicate that as many as 1 in 4 Americans will experience a mental health problem or will misuse alcohol or drugs in their lifetimes. These disorders are among the most highly stigmatized health conditions in the United States, and they remain barriers to full participation in society in areas as basic as education, housing, and employment. Improving the lives of people with mental health and substance abuse disorders has been a priority in the United States for more than 50 years. The Community Mental Health Act of 1963 is considered a major turning point in America's efforts to improve behavioral healthcare. It ushered in an era of optimism and hope and laid the groundwork for the consumer movement and new models of recovery. The consumer movement gave voice to people with mental and substance use disorders and brought their perspectives and experience into national discussions about mental health. However over the same 50-year period, positive change in American public attitudes and beliefs about mental and substance use disorders has lagged behind these advances. Stigma is a complex social phenomenon based on a relationship between an attribute and a stereotype that assigns undesirable labels, qualities, and behaviors to a person with that attribute. Labeled individuals are then socially devalued, which leads to inequality and discrimination. This report contributes to national efforts to understand and change attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that can lead to stigma and discrimination. Changing stigma in a lasting way will require coordinated efforts, which are based on the best possible evidence, supported at the national level with multiyear funding, and planned and implemented by an effective coalition of representative stakeholders. Ending Discrimination Against People with Mental and Substance Use Disorders: The Evidence for Stigma Change explores stigma and discrimination faced by individuals with mental or substance use disorders and recommends effective strategies for reducing stigma and encouraging people to seek treatment and other supportive services. It offers a set of conclusions and recommendations about successful stigma change strategies and the research needed to inform and evaluate these efforts in the United States.

Bringing together leading experts, this book demonstrates the unique value of brief motivational interventions for addressing adolescent alcohol and other substance use in a range of clinical contexts. It presents cutting-edge knowledge on the etiology and developmental context of adolescent addictive behaviors and reviews exemplary treatment approaches. Effective strategies are described for intervening with diverse populations, such as college students, youth in the justice system and in foster care, those with co-occurring substance abuse and psychiatric problems, LGBT youth, and Latino and American Indian adolescents. This book replaces the editors' influential earlier work, Adolescents, Alcohol, and Substance Abuse, with an expanded focus on practical applications. Most of the chapters are completely new.