1. Narcotics Anonymous participation and changes in substance use and social support
- Author
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Toumbourou, John Winston, Hamilton, Margaret, U'Ren, Alison, Stevens-Jones, Pru, and Storey, Gordon
- Subjects
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SUBSTANCE abuse treatment , *SELF-help techniques , *ALCOHOL drinking , *SUBSTANCE abuse & psychology , *COMPARATIVE studies , *INTERVIEWING , *LONGITUDINAL method , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL cooperation , *PATIENT compliance , *RESEARCH , *STATISTICAL sampling , *SUPPORT groups , *SOCIAL support , *EVALUATION research , *TREATMENT effectiveness - Abstract
In Victoria (a southern Australian state) in 1995, Narcotics Anonymous had a small but growing membership providing an opportunity to study the early experience of new self-help members. Ninety-one new members were interviewed and 62 (68%) were reinterviewed after 12 months. Three measures of self-help participation were examined: service role involvement, step work, and stable meeting attendance. Lower prior involvement in treatment services and greater participation in self-help predicted subsequent self-help participation. Higher levels of secondary school education predicted service role involvement and longer periods in stable meeting attendance. Higher self-help participation through the 12 months prior to follow-up was associated with lower levels of hazardous alcohol use and higher emotional support at reinterview. Multivariate regression analysis suggested stable self-help meeting attendance and step work continued to predict reductions in hazardous alcohol use and improvements in social support, after controlling for a range of alternative predictors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2002
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