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An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613894829146112 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner |
| author2 | Slabbert, I. |
| author_browse | Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner Slabbert, I. |
| author_facet | Slabbert, I. Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner |
| author_sort | Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136082 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:24.214Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136082 An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner Slabbert, I. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Jacobs, D. A. W. 2026. An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/5bf72a78-2011-4384-929d-4cfbedcf8206 Globally, substance abuse has reached epidemic proportions, with more than 284 million people having been documented as substance users in 2020, of which 35 million have a substance use disorder (SUD) that requires addiction treatment. In South Africa, 11 to 18% of the population is affected by harmful substance abuse and dependency, costing the economy more than R130 billion annually, and contributing significantly to gender-based violence (GBV), child neglect, and high rates of HIV, Hepatitis C and other communicable diseases. In the Western Cape, substance abuse continues to plague the province, sharply demonstrating the substance abuse crisis with the world’s highest record of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Yet, despite the growing number of women using substances, women remain profoundly underrepresented in addiction treatment services, notwithstanding the country’s progressive Constitution protecting their rights to dignity, equality, and access. This contradiction is disturbing, as only 22% of national treatment admissions over two decades were women. Moreover, women experience a variety of barriers, including limited availability of addiction treatment services across the continuum of care, heightened levels of stigma, poverty, social exclusion, and trauma. This study examined the barriers women experience when attempting to access addiction treatment services in the Western Cape through the lens of a biopsychosocial approach and human rights perspective. A qualitative study with an exploratory and descriptive research design was used. Purposive sampling was utilised to recruit two sample groups: 20 women with SUDs and 12 social service providers of addiction treatment services. Semi-structured interview guides were used to collect data through face-to-face interviews conducted with the participants. Ethical clearance was obtained for this medium-risk study before the commencement of any interviews, with all participants signing informed consent forms. The interviews were then transcribed verbatim and underwent thematic analysis, wherein the data were analysed and broken down into relevant themes, subthemes, and categories. The data obtained from the interviews were verified to ensure the trustworthiness of the study, further ensuring credibility, transferability, conformability, and dependability. Six themes were identified: biological barriers (pregnancy and health); psychological barriers (mental health and trauma); social barriers (interpersonal relationships and stereotypes); cultural barriers (community barriers and intersectionality); structural barriers (logistical barriers and attitudinal barriers by staff); and systemic barriers (programme development). The findings derived from these themes, subthemes and categories indicated how various intersecting barriers compromised, and in some instances violated women’s rights to equitable, effective, and gender-responsive addiction treatment services. This study concluded that addiction treatment services in the Western Cape remained largely unresponsive and inappropriate to the lived realities of women with SUDs. Addiction care in the Western Cape must undergo a process of reconceptualisation to uphold, protect, and implement constitutional and international human rights obligations. This requires addiction treatment programmes and subsequent services to be rooted in gender-responsive and trauma-informed approaches, with principles of dignity and empowerment not just being promoted but implemented at every stage of treatment. Without this reform, women will continue to be denied their fundamental right to appropriate services. The recommendations call for the strengthening of social work practice and training in addiction, it demands the inclusion of women’s voices in programme development, as well as implementing policy reform that ensures that addiction care across the continuum is recognised, respected and executed – not as a privilege for the few, but as a fundamental human right for all. Doctoral 2026-04-22T07:23:02Z 2026-04-22T07:23:02Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136082 en Stellenbosch University 331 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Jacobs, Danyschka Ania Werner An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title | An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title_full | An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title_fullStr | An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title_full_unstemmed | An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title_short | An exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the Western Cape |
| title_sort | exploration of barriers that women experience when seeking addiction treatment services in the western cape |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136082 |
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