Sex Differences in Help‐seeking for Alcohol Problems–1. The Barriers to Help‐seeking

TLDR

The study examines how men and women perceive barriers to entering alcohol treatment. Twenty‑five men and twenty‑five women were interviewed in depth about their drinking histories and help‑seeking behaviors. Women were less likely than men to view alcohol as their main problem, and differences in other barriers suggest that improving primary‑care responses could reduce treatment entry barriers for women.

Abstract

Summary Twenty‐five men and 25 women referred to an alcohol clinic were interviewed in depth to obtain information about their drinking careers and help‐seeking behaviour. This paper describes patients' perceptions of the ‘barriers’ to treatment entry and considers differences between the sexes. Women were significantly less likely than men to feel that alcohol was their main problem and the reasons for this are explored. Other barriers to treatment–difficulty in asking for help, reluctance to be ‘labelled’ as an ‘alcoholic’ or as a psychiatric patient, and problems of access to the service–also showed differences between men and women. It is suggested that, for women in particular, improvement of the response to alcohol problems at primary care level may go some way towards reducing the ‘barriers’ to treatment entry.