The Impact of Social Support and Attachment Style on Quality of Life and Readiness to Change in a Sample of Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence

Abstract

Social support is an important factor in one's recovery from substance use disorders. Yet attachment style (i.e., anxious, avoidant, or secure) did not predict abstinence or overall improvement in functioning.

Feasibility of a Supportive Other Intervention for Opiate-Dependent Patients Entering Inpatient Detoxification

“…The value of involving family or other close supportive persons in substance use treatment, and specifically in the maintenance phase of treatment (i.e., after initial detoxification) has become increasingly accepted as a component of treatment in alcohol detoxification settings (Timko et al 2015), and has been documented as an factor in general treatment for substance use disorders (Rounsaville & Kleber 1985; Riehman et al 2003; Lin, Wu & Detels 2011; Day et al 2013; Cavaiola, Fulmer & Stout 2015; Hser et al 2015; Timko et al 2015). Findings from the current study suggest that many patients in an opioid detoxification program are open to involving their SO in their treatment during their inpatient stay.…”

“…Indeed, it may be helpful to consider the possibility of linking patients to twelve step groups or other sources of sober support when no SO is available, or when the SO is a substance user (Riehman et al 2003). For those who do have a SO who is not actively using opioids, capitalizing on this existing social support network in opioid disorder recovery (Williamson et al 2007; Scherbaum & Specka 2008; Cavaiola, Fulmer & Stout 2015; Hser et al 2015) may be a way to improve outcomes following detoxification discharge. Testing the effectiveness of a brief SO intervention to enhance long-term care remains a goal for future research.…”

Effects of Social Support and 12-Step Involvement on Recovery among People in Continuing Care for Cocaine Dependence

“…Because increased sober social support positively impacts reductions in substance use, it could be expected that these same supports would positively correlate with greater readiness to change. Interestingly, the little research conducted on the relationship between these variables has yielded mixed results including no correlation between social support and readiness to change; and social support being a predictor of readiness to change, in particular, the Contemplation stage of change (Chakravorty et al, 2010;Cavaiola, Fulmer & Stout, 2015). Substance use goal is another variable predictive of SUD treatment outcome (Hall, Havassy, Wasserman, 1990;Maisto, Connors & Zywiak, 2000) which may also be affected by social support.…”

Accelerating the Pace of Science: Improving Parenting Practices in Parents with Opioid Use Disorder

“…In general, less perceived support from a partner or family member is a risk factor for OUD (Cooper, Campbell, Larance, Murnion, & Nielsen, 2018). For individuals experiencing OUD, those who have more supportive families and partners who are receiving medication assisted treatment for opioid use are more likely to be ready to change, to have improved relationships (family and partner) following treatment, and to be abstinent following treatment (Fulmer & Stout, 2015). Moreover, specific to mothers with OUD, limited social support has been related to a greater risk for comorbid depression and opioid use, whereas greater social support has been related to improvements in parenting and parent-child bonding (Suchman et al, 2010).…”