The broad objectives of this research are to explore several factors that may impact substance abuse treatment and aftercare programs. Specifically, the research proposes an investigation of how helping behavior impacts the health and recovery process of individuals who suffer from drug abuse and dependence. The study of """"""""helping behavior"""""""" among those in recovery is an area of research that has been overlooked to date and offers the potential to increase our understanding of the recovery process. As suggested by the """"""""helper-therapy"""""""" principle, individuals with addiction problems may benefit from getting involved as helpers themselves. Helping those with similar problems might facilitate the learning of important interpersonal competencies. Helpers might also experience greater feelings of independence, self-efficacy, social usefulness, sense of control, and willingness to receive help. The research will draw its sample from a large national network of communal living sites for substance abusers known as Oxford Houses (OH) -- democratic, mutual-help settings intended to facilitate residents' development of long-term abstinence skills. The OH residential aftercare program represents an inexpensive and potentially effective setting to promote health, life skills, and abstinence. The trainee will access a longitudinal database, as well as use a repeated measures design to examine the relationship between helping behavior and successful abstinence from substances in this sample of OH residents.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31DA016037-01
Application #
6584774
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Chandler, Redonna
Project Start
2003-03-31
Project End
2005-09-14
Budget Start
2003-01-01
Budget End
2003-12-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$32,405
Indirect Cost
Name
De Paul University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60604
May, Emily M; Hunter, Bronwyn A; Ferrari, Joseph et al. (2015) Hope and Abstinence Self-Efficacy: Positive Predictors of Negative Affect in Substance Abuse Recovery. Community Ment Health J 51:695-700
Boddapati, Samanta; Hunter, Bronwyn A; Jason, Leonard A et al. (2014) Social anxiety and communal living: The influence of social anxiety on men and women in substance abuse recovery homes. J Subst Use 19:152-155
Stevens, Edward B; Buchannan, Brett; Ferrari, Joseph R et al. (2014) An Investigation of Hope and Context. J Community Psychol 42:937-946
Stevens, Edward B; Jason, Leonard A; Ferrari, Joseph R et al. (2012) Sense of Community Among Individuals in Substance Abuse Recovery. J Groups Addict Recover 7:15-28
Ferrari, Joseph R; Stevens, Edward B; Legler, Raymond et al. (2012) HOPE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND SELF-REGULATION: POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS AMONG MEN AND WOMEN IN RECOVERY. J Community Psychol 40:292-300
Stevens, Edward B; Jason, Leonard A; Ferrari, Joseph R (2011) Measurement Performance of the Sense of Community Index in Substance Abuse Recovery Communal Housing. Aust Community Psychol 23:135-147
Ferrari, Joseph R; Stevens, Edward B; Jason, Leonard A (2010) An Exploratory Analysis of Changes in Self-Regulation and Social Support Among Men and Women in Recovery. J Groups Addict Recover 5:145-154
Stevens, Edward B; Jason, Leonard A; Ferrari, Joseph R et al. (2010) Self-Efficacy and Sense of Community among Adults Recovering from Substance Abuse. N Am J Psychol 12:255-264
Ferrari, Joseph R; Stevens, Edward B; Jason, Leonard A (2009) The Relationship of Self-Control and Abstinence Maintenance: An Exploratory Analysis of Self-Regulation. J Groups Addict Recover 4:32-41
Viola, Judah J; Ferrari, Joseph R; Davis, Margaret I et al. (2009) Measuring In-Group and Out-Group Helping in Communal Living: Helping and Substance Abuse Recovery. J Groups Addict Recover 4:110-128

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