State Variation in the Availability of Women-Specific Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment.

BACKGROUND

In the United States (U.S.), the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is increasing among women; however, few women seek treatment. System-level information on the need for AUD treatment among women and the availability of services relevant to women is essential to ensure that women have access to care. This study describes state variation in the number of addiction treatment facilities serving clients with AUD per 10 000 women with AUD, state variation in treatment facilities offering women-specific programming, and services that address commonly cited barriers to treatment, and estimates the availability of women-specific programming and services in states with disproportionately higher AUD prevalence among women.

METHODS

Using the 2024 National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey data, this study identified the number of addiction treatment facilities that offered women-specific programming and services addressing frequently cited treatment barriers for women and estimated the 2024 proportion of facilities with these services per 10 000 women aged 18+ with AUD by state.

RESULTS

State-level prevalence estimates of AUD among women ranged from 6.2% to 12.7%. Of the 13 818 treatment facilities in the U.S. offering alcohol treatment, 58.5% offered women-specific programming, 59.0% offered trauma therapy, 55.4% offered intimate partner violence services, 55.2% offered transportation assistance, and 4.6% offered childcare. States with a higher proportion of women with AUD had fewer alcohol treatment facilities offering women-specific programming per woman with AUD.

CONCLUSIONS

There is state-level variation in the availability of facilities offering women-specific programming and services. Of concern, many states with greater than average AUD prevalence had disproportionately lower availability of services.