Women drug-users in outpatient treatment: a qualitative study from a gender and community mental health perspective

Women drug -users face significant challenges in accessing and adhering to outpatient treatment. How - ever, this issue has been underexplored. The study aims to understand the experiences of a group of women un - dergoing drug use treatment. Between March and December 2021, a qualitative phenomenological interpretative study was carried out through semi -structured interviews with 16 women attending a drug -dependence care cen - ter in Catalonia, Spain. Data were processed through content analysis. The results indicate that, despite perceiving a positive impact of the treatment, women experience vulnerabilities related to stigmatization, lack of social sup - port, and insufficient coverage of specific needs, impacting therapeutic follow-up. The findings emphasize the need to enhance resources for specialized care and promote a social support network where women drug -users actively participate.