Coping Strategies of Female Victims of Child Abuse in Treatment for Substance Abuse Relapse: Their Advice to Other Women and Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

This study was a part of a larger qualitative descriptive study designed to explore chronic sorrow as a relapse trigger among female victims of child abuse who were currently enrolled in substance abuse treatment for relapse. The purpose of this study was to identify coping strategies and other factors these women perceived as helpful to their recovery. A purposive sample of twelve women participated in interviews using a semistructured interview schedule. The advice the participants offered to women in similar situations reflected interpersonal, cognitive and action-focused positive coping strategies. They encouraged clinicians in primary care facilities to approach persons suspected of substance abuse in a nonjudgmental manner. Healthcare professionals should be more assertive in recommending resources for substance abuse treatment.