Therapist’s Gender and Gender Roles: Impact on Attitudes toward Clients in Substance Abuse Treatment

Table 1

Background information on therapists by gender. Comparison used 𝜒² test.

	Men (𝑛=73)		Women (𝑛=173)		𝑃
	𝑛	%	𝑛	%
Marital status					ns
Single	13	17.8	22	12.7
Cohabiting	15	20.5	46	26.6
Married	38	52.2	80	46.3
Divorced or separated	5	6.8	21	12.1
Widowed	2	2.7	4	2.3
Sexual orientation					0.01
Heterosexual	66	90.5	167	96.5
Bisexual	2	2.7	5	2.9
Homosexual	5	6.8	1	0.6
Professional education					0.001
Brief professional education	2	2.7	1	0.6
School level	16	21.9	16	9.2
College or polytechnic	31	42.5	119	68.8
University	24	32.9	37	21.4
Job title					0.008
Counselor	25	34.2	52	30.1
Social worker	11	15.1	33	19.1
Nurse	6	8.2	44	25.4
Physician or psychologist	7	9.6	7	4.0
Team leader	24	32.9	37	21.4
Experience in substance abuse treatment					0.05
Under 5 years	14	19.2	59	34.1
5–15 years	33	45.2	71	41.0
Over 15 years	26	35.6	43	24.9
Technical orientation					ns
Cognitive therapies	9	12.3	19	11.0
Motivational interviewing	4	5.5	11	6.3
Solution-focused	15	20.5	27	15.6
System theoretical	3	4.1	2	1.2
Psychodynamic	2	2.7	6	3.4
Community treatment	14	19.2	22	12.7
Eclectic	22	30.2	84	48.6
None of these	4	5.5	2	1.2
Lengthy therapy training*					ns
Yes	25	34.2	53	30.6
No	48	65.8	120	69.4
Personal recovery of substance abuse					0.001
Yes	14	19.2	10	5.8
No	59	80.8	163	94.2

∗At least two years of intensive therapy training.