A Comparison of Pregnancy-Only versus Mixed-Gender Group Therapy among Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder

• Published in: Social work research 2015-12, Vol.39 (4), p.235-244
• Main Authors: Lander, Laura R., Gurka, Kelly K., Marshalek, Patrick J., Riffon, Mark, Sullivan, Carl R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Comparative analysis; Data Analysis; Drug abuse; Drug Use; Females; Group Therapy; Mental health care; Patients; Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Substance Abuse; Womens health
• ISSN: 1070-5309; 1545-6838
• DOI: 10.1093/swr/svv029

Prenatal substance abuse is a significant problem associated with deleterious effects for both mother and child. Stigmatization of substance abuse in pregnancy may result in pregnant women's reluctance to seek treatment. This study aimed to determine whether treating pregnant women in pregnancy-only therapy groups improved outcomes compared with treatment in mixed-gender therapy groups. A randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Forty-five pregnant patients with opioid use disorders were randomized to either treatment as usual in mixed-gender groups or treatment in pregnancy-only groups. All patients received medication-assisted treatment with mono-buprenorphine sublingual tablets. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, Fisher's exact, and t tests were used for data analysis. Results showed no significant differences between the two groups with regard to relapse rates or retention in treatment. Satisfaction survey indicated that patients were equally satisfied with the two group experiences, but those in the pregnancy-only group rated group topic relevance significantly better than those in the mixed-gender group. The overall incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome was 23%. These findings indicate no significant difference in outcomes between pregnancy-only treatment groups and mixed-gender treatment groups. Paramount in the treatment of pregnant patients with opioid use disorders is to reduce barriers to treatment and treat the opioid dependence itself.