The treatment approaches just summarized are only a few examples of the wide range of treatment options available. Because a large number of substance-abusing women have multiple problems, there is a need to provide broad and comprehensive services for women. For example, a cognitive-behavioural treatment program for women with alcohol problems may be combined with pharmacotherapy to address strong cravings for alcohol or symptoms of depression. In addition, existing treatment approaches may be further modified to address the individual needs of each female patient (e.g., prenatal care). Most of the work regarding substance abuse in women is largely atheoretical. However, social relationships have been reported to play a greater role in the psychological development of women as compared with men. In this regard, interventions that focus on the development of new relationships or that strengthen the woman’s social support network are viewed as beneficial. However, most women-oriented in which patients are matched on the basis of personality characteristics and level of motivation, have shown benefit with female substance abusers. Brief interventions that incorporate motivational interviewing strategies have also been effective in reducing alcohol consumption for problem-drinking women. Finally, some studies have indicated that women benefit from self-help groups. It is thought that women do well in these groups because they become more involved in the social support network offered by this type of treatment. Although it appears that women do benefit from treatment, well-conducted treatment outcome studies are lacking, so it is unknown whether outcomes would be improved if treatment programs were more sensitive to gender issues. Nevertheless, one advantage of women-only treatment programs may be their ability to attract women who would not otherwise have sought treatment from a mainstream progra