Gender is an important variable to consider when planning and evaluating studies in all areas and at all levels of health-related research (Wizemann & Pardue, 2001). Gender is especially important in substance abuse treatment services because the background characteristics, substance abuse patterns, and personal histories of female substance users may differ from those of males. In the past, most research related to outcomes for substance abuse treatment programs involved male participants. However, new studies have emerged when the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) began sponsoring substance abuse research for women in the 1970s. Finklestein (1993) documented several studies conducted in the 1980s that focused on the shortage of treatment
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However, justice can be defined as a set of universal principles which guide people in judging what is right and what is wrong, no matter what culture and society they live in (Center for Economic and Social Justice, 2015). According to the NASW (2015) social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities. However, economic justice touched each woman because it addressed how each woman earned a living or their financial status. On the other hand, these women came from a background of poverty which was a disservice to them before the use of cocaine/crack. Therefore, a number of these women are single-parent families, which posed them to enter into child welfare system because of their use of cocaine/crack addiction. Resulting in the child welfare agencies, substance abuse treatment providers to have to take a new look at the needs of mothers with chemical dependency and their children (Azzi-Lessing and Olsen, 1994). On the other hand, the lack of economic justice creates potential stressors for women, families, and communities (Voydanoff, 1991). Therefore, increasing the risks for emotional distress, which in turn destabilizes marital relationships and can lead to family conflicts, violence, substance abuse, and family dissolution (Vandsburger, Harrigan, and Biggerstaff, 2008). However, social and economic justice affects the psychological well-being of women when they are struggling with addiction. Therefore, social and economic injustice creates a family that is vulnerable too many stressors sometimes resulting in chemical dependency. This epidemic of African American women with cocaine/crack addiction have posed a better with this diverse culture with both social and economic
However, justice can be defined as a set of universal principles which guide people in judging what is right and what is wrong, no matter what culture and society they live in (Center for Economic and Social Justice, 2015). According to the NASW (2015) social justice is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities. However, economic justice touched each woman because it addressed how each woman earned a living or their financial status. On the other hand, these women came from a background of poverty which was a disservice to them before the use of cocaine/crack. Therefore, a number of these women are single-parent families, which posed them to enter into child welfare system because of their use of cocaine/crack addiction. Resulting in the child welfare agencies, substance abuse treatment providers to have to take a new look at the needs of mothers with chemical dependency and their children (Azzi-Lessing and Olsen, 1994). On the other hand, the lack of economic justice creates potential stressors for women, families, and communities (Voydanoff, 1991). Therefore, increasing the risks for emotional distress, which in turn destabilizes marital relationships and can lead to family conflicts, violence, substance abuse, and family dissolution (Vandsburger, Harrigan, and Biggerstaff, 2008). However, social and economic justice affects the psychological well-being of women when they are struggling with addiction. Therefore, social and economic injustice creates a family that is vulnerable too many stressors sometimes resulting in chemical dependency. This epidemic of African American women with cocaine/crack addiction have posed a better with this diverse culture with both social and economic