Women with drug and alcohol issues ‘feel safer and are more likely to sustain their recoveries’ when treated in a female-only facility, according to a new study commissioned by the Scottish Recovery Consortium.
The report, which focuses on Abbeycare’s women-only Jericho House facility in Greenock, Scotland, found that being in a female-only space not only reduced stigma but allowed women to be ‘more open, vulnerable, and honest’ and supported a ‘deeper engagement’ in recovery.  The study, which is based on interviews with both service users and staff, also found that women felt they were ‘taking an active and purposeful role’ in the programme, rather than being passive recipients.
Women’s treatment needs are often very different from men’s, the document highlights, with their substance use often driven by issues such as trauma, domestic abuse or sexual violence.
‘The findings of this research reflect what we are often told by women in Greenock, many of whom arrive at their lowest point, carrying years of trauma and abuse,’ said Jericho House operations manager, Michael Trail. The women-only environment was ‘crucial in giving them the safety and understanding they need to begin rebuilding their lives’, he continued, with the staff’s own lived experience also ‘central to creating that sense of mutual trust, and the fact that women can come back to us for aftercare for as long as they need is something we’re incredibly proud of’.
‘This small, qualitative study is part of a broader programme of work we have carried out over the last year,’ added Scottish Recovery Consortium chief executive officer Tracey McFall. ‘Together, our findings clearly demonstrate the need to recognise the interconnected challenges many women experience, and the impact these can have on their lives. We hope this work serves as a catalyst for meaningful change, ensuring that women’s needs, experiences and voices are central to the development of policy, service design, and practice.’
 Women in recovery: women-only residential rehabilitation available here