Sociodemographic Profile of Women Entering a Military Substance Use Disorder Treatment Center

This retrospective study reviewed medical records to determine sociodemographic characteristics of women in a substance use treatment center at a Pacific Regional Medical Command facility. Data were collected from records between September 1, 1999, and August 31, 2002. Three questions were investigated, as follows. (1) What are the sociodemographic characteristics of women entering substance abuse treatment? (2) Are there coexisting conditions (psychiatric history and/or family history of abuse or psychiatric conditions) that accompany the substance abuse problem? (3) What are the referral sources for patients entering treatment? Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The sample was primarily Caucasian, between 18 and 25 years of age. The most frequently occurring conditions were depression and anxiety. The smallest number of referrals was from primary care managers. The findings support the need for thorough screening and assessment for substance use in women and assessment of primary care managers' compliance, knowledge, and skills in evaluating substance use in women.