Women in recovery : a qualitative study of chemical dependency from a female perspective

The study was developed to explore the nature of chemical dependency from a female perspective. The main focus of the research was on the issues and concerns of recovering women, the barriers to recovery, and the key factors in continued recovery success. Interviews were conducted with 5 women who had a minimum of 9 months' abstinence and who had successfully completed the adult inpatient and aftercare programs at the Detoxification Rehabilitation Institute in Knoxville, TN. The results of the interviews were analyzed to identify patterns of responses characteristic of all participants. Further research is indicated including similar research with male subjects and research focusing on the vocational concerns of chemically dependent persons.