Community-level drug-prevention workers: A field examination of their functioning

This paper reports the findings of a study that examined gender differences of local community drug-prevention workers (CDPW) regarding client participation, coping and job satisfaction, and the correlation between them. The data yielded an overall difference between men and women for job satisfaction relating to 4 coping techniques: emotion-focused, problem-focused, denial and an overall tendency to seek social support. The female workers reported the use of two techniques (emotion-focused, and seeking social support) at a higher level than their male counterparts. No significant difference was found between the genders regarding client participation. The effects of coping techniques and client participation on job satisfaction, as well as the correlation between them, show a complex picture in which there is considerable difference between the genders.