Men and women from the STRIDE clinical trial: An assessment of stimulant use severity at residential treatment entry.

Severe stimulant abstinence symptoms have been shown to predict early substance abuse treatment termination. This study explored gender-specific factors associated with addiction severity, craving, and abstinence symptoms in a residential treatment seeking sample. The study analyzed data collected from stimulant abusing or dependent participants enrolled in the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network’s “Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE)” trial. Women participating in STRIDE reported greater addiction severity problems in employment, family/social, and psychiatric domains compared to men (this is consistent with similar studies). More severe abstinence symptoms in women than men appear to be associated with anxiety-related symptoms (e.g., anxiety, tension, irritability, difficultly concentrating, and panic disorder) and to be correlated with race/ethnicity. It is unknown if anxiety associated with stimulant abstinence affects treatment attrition.

Conclusions: Interventions that address gender-related abstinence may improve treatment for stimulant dependence.

Related protocols: CTN-0037