Stephen Magura, Ph.D., C.S.W., chairs Workshop on
“New Research
on Self-Help and Recovery” at 2005 CPDD Meeting
Stephen Magura, Director of Science and Technology at NDRI, organized and chaired a Workshop on “New Research on Self-Help and Recovery from Substance Use” at the Annual Meeting of the College for Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) held in Orlando, Florida (June 18-23, 2005).
A national survey conducted in 2003 found that almost two million people reported attending self-help groups for substance abuse problems in the preceding year, yet relatively little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of self-help group participation in contrast to studies of formal treatment. Nonetheless, emerging research has indicated that participation in self-help groups, which are often based on 12-Step principles, is associated with the maintenance of abstinence and reinforces the effects of prior treatment. This is significant because substance abuse is a relapse-prone disorder that benefits from ongoing support for recovery.
To set the background for the research, William L. White. M.A., Senior Research Consultant with Lighthouse Institute/Chestnut Health Systems presented a summary of the history of mutual aid for substance abuse in America, based on his monograph, “Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America” (1998).
The first study, presented by Alexandre B. Laudet, Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Study of Addictions and Recovery at NDRI, is one of the few to examine the attributes and experiences of people in long-term recovery, rather than those who appear in treatment programs because they relapsed. The study determined the effects of self-help group affiliation on stress and quality of life for people in recovery for up to 10 years from mainly crack cocaine or heroin addiction (N=353). Self-help affiliation was associated with decreased stress and higher quality of life, independent of social supports, spirituality, attitudes to life and other recovery resources.
The second study, presented by Stephen Magura, addressed the lack of data on the effectiveness of self-help for people dually diagnosed with substance use and psychiatric disorders. A longitudinal study of members attending 24 specialized, dual-focus 12-Step groups (N=310) – Double Trouble in Recovery - found that more group participation was associated with abstinence from drugs and alcohol; higher confidence in coping with stressful emotions and situations; and improved health-promoting behaviors (including psychiatric medication adherence) during the 2-year follow-up period.
The Powerpoint © presentations of the two research studies are available via email
The first study received support from the National Institutes on Drug Abuse, grant no. R01 DA14409, and by the Peter F. McManus Charitable Trust. The second study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant no. R01 DA11240.
June, 2005