Factors Affecting Entry Into Substance Abuse Treatment: Gender Differences Among Alcohol-Dependent Alaska Natives‪.‬

This article reports the results of an investigation of alcohol treatment among Alaska Natives admitted to treatment in Anchorage, Alaska. The time between the age at which they were diagnosed as alcohol dependent and first treatment was similar for men and women. Women were more likely to be parents and reported more contact with health and mental health providers, but these factors were not associated with elapsed time to alcoholism treatment; type of health care professional consulted about problems was associated with elapsed time to treatment for women. Among men, acting as a parent, lifetime depression, and type of professional consulted were significantly associated with elapsed time to treatment. The effect of lifetime depression and parenting on elapsed time to treatment for men raises important questions about the significance of these two factors among other racial and ethnic groups. Key words: access; Alaska Natives; alcoholism; gender differences; treatment