The proposed research tests a dynamic systems-based theory, which explains how recovery house residents' recovery-related attitudes, behaviors, and social relationships co-evolve, and how these emergent individual characteristics and house-level social structures subsequently link to individuals' recovery endpoints. The theory adapts concepts from group and social network dynamics, placing them within a broader community mental health framework. It is operationalized and tested by measuring relationships of trust, friendship, and advice/mentoring as dynamic multiplex social networks (Snijders et al., 2012)-multiple, simultaneous interdependent relationships--that exist within each house. These relationships are assumed to co-evolve over time, affecting and affected by recovery-related attitudes and behaviors, and personal networks outside the house. By pooling dynamic relationships across houses, we will apply the Stochastic Actor-Oriented Modeling framework (Snijders et al., 2010) to estimate a set of stochastic, continuous-time difference equations. This model will then be subjected to theoretical analyses designed to suggest possible strategies for improving outcomes (e.g. maintaining residence) for this population. Our proposed study will identify mechanisms through which social environments affect health outcomes, and thereby contribute to reducing unnecessary health care costs by improving the effectiveness of the residential recovery home system in the US and also restructuring and improving other community-based recovery settings. These types of improvements could lead to better client care and treatment outcomes. Our proposed research would provide significant insight on within house structure and dynamics as predictors of an individual's likelihood of maintaining a positive recovery trajectory; it would provide information on the interactions of external recovery behaviors (e.g. AA), external ego-centered networks (scope, composition, dynamics), and within-setting social networks, and it might identify points of failure where the individual reaches a significant likelihood of relapse. In addition, this work should result in an initial framework for the study of network dynamics in recovery homes which should facilitate both the theoretical development and empirical investigation of the broader domain of recovery homes.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research tests a dynamic systems-based theory, which explains how recovery house residents' recovery-related attitudes, behaviors, and social relationships co-evolve, and how these emergent individual characteristics and house-level social structures subsequently link to individuals' recovery endpoints.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA022763-03
Application #
9275287
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Hagman, Brett Thomas
Project Start
2015-06-01
Project End
2020-05-31
Budget Start
2017-06-01
Budget End
2018-05-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2017
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
De Paul University
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
045694130
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60604
Jason, Leonard A; Stevens, Ed; Kassanits, Jessica et al. (2018) Recovery homes: A social network analysis of Oxford Houses for Native Americans. J Ethn Subst Abuse :1-16
Stevens, Ed; Guerrero, Mayra; Green, Austin et al. (2018) Relationship of hope, sense of community, and quality of life. J Community Psychol 46:567-574
Jason, Leonard A; Stevens, Ed (2017) The Reliability and Reciprocity of a Social Network Measure. Alcohol Treat Q 35:317-327
Jason, Leonard A (2015) Ethical and diversity challenges in ecologically sensitive systems-oriented interventions. Am Psychol 70:764-75