To assess why substance using pregnant women attend or not attend treatment, 25 interviews were conducted with women HMO members one year after delivery who had been referred to Early Start, a prenatal substance abuse program. In general, there were few differences in drug use before, during and after pregnancy between those who participated in treatment as compared to those who were assessed only. For the most part, women in both groups stopped using drugs or substantially lowered their use during pregnancy and after delivery. Women who received treatment saw the treatment process as fairly broad, during which issues both related and unrelated to drug use could be discussed. Women who chose not to receive treatment viewed the treatment process more narrowly as an abstinence model only. The untreated women who quit using substances during pregnancy felt they did not need the treatment, and those who chose to continue drug use felt they would not be understood by the Early Start counselor. The medical records of these women were reviewed to obtain substance use and treatment histories. A comparison of these data to the interview responses showed that the medical record data were incomplete and confirmed the value of the interviews. These findings underscore the importance of being clear about the goals of treatment, which may include harm reduction as well as abstinence.
Learning Objectives: To describe why and how pregnant women who use substances decide to enter treatment; To identify barriers to substance abuse pregnant for pregnant women
Keywords: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prenatal Interventions
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Northern California
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.