Women with DUIs in this high risk sample evidenced greater physiological and behavioral dependence on alcohol than men with DUIs, and may thus represent a particularly severe alcohol dependence phenotype. Women with multiple DUIs were more likely to report wanting to quit and unsuccessful attempts to quit drinking than men. Thus, despite a desire to quit, women with multiple DUIs had less success with quitting drinking than men. Combined with evidence that fewer women than men are referred to treatment after a first DUI offense (Lapham et al., 2000), that treatment may not be as effective for female as male offenders, and that women are less likely to complete treatment (Maxwell & Freeman, 2007), this highlights an opportunity to improve treatment for women with DUIs. Examination of gender differences in alcohol criteria endorsement can potentially improve treatment for women in mandated DUI programs and, more broadly, for women at the severe end of the alcohol dependence spectrum.
