Best Practices - Early Intervention, Outreach and Community Linkages for Women with Substance Use Problems

6. Future Research

This research project pointed to gaps in knowledge and practical applications related to early intervention strategies, outreach services and enhancement of community linkages for women with problem substance use. The following summarizes these areas:

Minority Women

Research related to ethnicity and its influence on problem substance use among women is limited. Additional research is warranted to gain an increased understanding of minority women and the best approaches for structuring prevention and intervention efforts.

Internet Recovery Strategies

Preliminary research indicates that women may access Internet services more often than men to address problem substance use. Although Internet recovery strategies are being used increasingly by clients, research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness for early intervention or treatment strategies.

Evaluation of Integrative Service Delivery

Additional research is needed to investigate the full impact of enhancing linkages among community-based services. It would be advantageous to evaluate not only the therapeutic benefits of such approaches but also the costs over extended time periods.