Gender Bias in Addictions and their Treatment. An Overview from the Social Perspective

Gender perspective in sociological analysis provides large doses of pragmatism in the work of social problems. From this premise, we have developed a piece of research based on the problem suggested by the organization “Proyecto Hombre Murcia, Solidaridad y Reinserción”, the main objective of which was to analyze the existing differences in problems among men and women in treatment, and the implications these have on the success of the treatment. Thus, we have performed an analysis of social perceptions of addicts receiving treatment. The methodology used was qualitative, allowing for the participation of people undergoing treatment in the focus groups, together with interviews developed for this research. This has helped explain and understand why gender roles are affecting welfare policies and intervention programs.