Measuring affiliation in group therapy for substance use disorders in the Women's Recovery Group study: Does it matter whether the group is all-women or mixed-gender?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A Stage II, two-site randomized clinical trial compared the manualized, single-gender Women's Recovery Group (WRG) to mixed-gender group therapy (Group Drug Counseling; GDC) and demonstrated efficacy. Enhanced affiliation and support in the WRG is a hypothesized mechanism of efficacy. This study sought to extend results of the previous small Stage I trial that showed the rate of supportive affiliative statements occurred more frequently in WRG than GDC. METHODS: Participants (N = 158; 100 women, 58 men) were 18 years or older, substance dependent, and had used substances within the past 60 days. Women were randomized to WRG (n = 52) or GDC (n = 48). Group therapy videos were coded by two independent raters; Rater 1 coded 20% of videos (n = 74); Rater 2 coded 25% of videos coded by Rater 1 (n = 19). RESULTS: The number of affiliative statements made in WRG was 66% higher than in GDC. Three of eight affiliative statement categories occurred more frequently in WRG than GDC: supportive, shared experience, and strategy statements. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: This larger Stage II trial provided a greater number of group therapy tapes available for analysis. Results extended our previous findings, demonstrating both greater frequency of all affiliative statements, as well as specific categories of statements, made in single-gender WRG than mixed-gender GDC. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Greater frequency of affiliative statements among group members may be one mechanism of enhanced support and efficacy in women-only WRG compared with standard mixed-gender group therapy for substance use disorders. (Am J Addict 2016;25:573-580).

A qualitative analysis of women's experiences in single-gender versus mixed-gender substance abuse group therapy.

The present study of women with substance use disorders used grounded theory to examine women's experiences in both the Women's Recovery Group (WRG) and a mixed-gender Group Drug Counseling (GDC). Semi-structured interviews were completed in 2005 by 28 women in a U.S. metropolitan area. Compared to GDC, women in WRG more frequently endorsed feeling safe, embracing all aspects of one's self, having their needs met, feeling intimacy, empathy, and honesty. In addition, group cohesion and support allowed women to focus on gender-relevant topics supporting their recovery. These advantages of single-gender group therapy can increase treatment satisfaction and improve treatment outcomes.