Abstract

An increasing body of evidence shows that informal mutual aid groups benefit those in addiction recovery. However, attention for mutual aid groups in practice and policy varies internationally and is only recently emerging in continental Europe. Existing evidence is mostly limited to studies of Alcoholics Anonymous groups in the United States. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between membership of a variety of mutual aid groups and recovery capital, participation in social networks, and commitment to sobriety for individuals in drug addiction recovery (N = 367), living in the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium. A convenience sample of participants completed an extensive assessment about their recovery experiences. Sixty-nine percent of participants reported lifetime (ever) membership of different mutual aid groups. Analyses reveal that membership of mutual aid groups is strongly associated with more participation and (self-reported) changes in social networks, greater levels of recovery capital, and a stronger commitment to sobriety. The findings suggest that participation in mutual aid groups may support addiction recovery through multiple mechanisms of change in favor of recovery. These findings highlight how mutual aid support may complement formal addiction treatment.

摘要

越来越多的证据表明，非正式互助团体使戒毒者受益。然而，国际上对互助团体在实践和政策上的关注各不相同，而且最近才在欧洲大陆出现。现有证据主要限于对美国戒酒匿名团体的研究。这项横断面研究的目的是检查各种互助团体的成员身份与康复资本、社交网络的参与以及毒瘾康复个体对清醒的承诺之间的关系（N = 367)，居住在英国、荷兰和比利时。一个方便的参与者样本完成了对他们恢复经历的广泛评估。69% 的参与者报告说终生（曾经）是不同互助团体的成员。分析表明，互助团体的成员身份与社交网络的更多参与和（自我报告的）变化、更高水平的恢复资本以及对清醒的更坚定承诺密切相关。研究结果表明，参与互助小组可能通过多种有利于恢复的变化机制来支持成瘾恢复。这些发现强调了互助支持如何补充正式的成瘾治疗。