The role of functional social support in treatment retention and outcomes among outpatient adult substance abusers

Bibliographic Data

ID23314510
AuthorsPatricia L Dobkin (0000-0003-3938-2424, McGill University Health Centre, corresponding author), Mirella De Civita (Université de Montréal), Antonios Paraherakis (McGill University Health Centre), Kathryn Gill (0000-0001-6980-3205, McGill University Health Centre)
Year2002
Volume97
Issue3
Pages347-356
Publication date2002-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAddiction (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-2140 • E-ISSN: 1360-0443
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00083.x
PMID11964111
OpenAlexW2148750746
LanguageEN
Citations received88
References cited33

Aims The goals of this study were: (1) to compare patients with high and low functional social support at intake and 6 months later on various risk factors; (2) to test the stress‐buffering role of functional social support on treatment outcomes, and (3) to determine whether levels of functional social support at intake predicted treatment retention. Design Consecutive admissions to an outpatient treatment program were assessed at intake ( n = 206) and at 6 month follow‐up ( n = 172) using the Addition Severity Index (ASI). Patients completed questionnaires pertaining to social support, stress and psychological functioning both at intake and at 6 months. Findings Both high and low social support groups experienced marked declines in negative affect and in the severity of substance abuse over time. There were some group differences: for example, symptoms of depression and psychological distress were higher among patients with low social support at intake and at 6 months. Patients with low social support at intake reported higher severity of alcohol and drug abuse at 6 months. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that functional social support was a modest predictor of reductions in the severity of alcohol abuse at follow‐up, after controlling for the number of days in treatment. Higher levels of social support explained a modest (6%) proportion of the variance in alcohol‐related outcomes, but did not predict reductions in drug abuse. Survival analysis demonstrated that the rate of dropping out of treatment was significantly higher for patients with low social support. Conclusions Higher functional social support at intake is a positive predictor of retention in treatment, and a modest predictor of reductions in alcohol intake, but not in drug use. Overall, social support accounts for a small percentage of the variance in drug/alcohol‐related outcomes, underscoring the need for further research into variables accounting for treatment success and failure.

Alcohol abuse · Distress · Multilevel model · Psychiatry · Social support · Substance abuse · Clinical Psychology · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies

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