Women receiving specialized treatment for psychoactive substance use: a cohort study

Objective: To verify the association between the profile of women who seek specialized treatment for the use of psychoactive substances, their treatment adherence time and the types of substance used. Method: A retrospective cohort with data from medical records of women who sought care at a referral service for the use of psychoactive substances. Results: The final sample consisted of 411 medical records. A significant association was observed between unemployment (p<0.000), living in the streets/homeless shelters (p=0.003), having HIV/AIDS (p=0.004) and the type of substance used. The best predictors for the treatment adherence time were being a cocaine and crack user (OR=0.22), having family members who use illegal substances (OR=0.36) and reporting suicidal ideation (OR=2.7). Conclusion: The sociodemographic and epidemiological factors of the women in this study are associated with the use of psychoactive substances. The therapeutic strategies developed for this group should take into account the risk stratification, seeking comprehensive and individualized care. Persistent approaches to include family members in the treatment, especially of those who present problems related to the use of psychoactive substances should be considered.