THE INFLUENCE OF POSTTREATMENT MUTUAL HELP GROUP PARTICIPATION ON THEFRIENDSHIP NETWORKS OF SUBSTANCE-ABUSE PATIENTS

The effect of 12-step mutual help groups (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous) o n members' friendship networks has received little attention. This 1-y ear longitudinal study examined such effects in a sample of 2,337 male substance abuse inpatients, 57.7% of whom became significantly involv ed in 12-step activities (e.g., reading program literature, attending meetings) after treatment. An a priori model of the interplay of 12-st ep involvement and friendship networks was tested using structural equ ation modeling, and found to have excellent fit to the data. Twelve-st ep group involvement after treatment predicted better general friendsh ip characteristics (e.g., number of close friends) and substance abuse -specific friendship characteristics (e.g., proportion of friends who abstain front drugs and alcohol) at follow-up. Results are discussed i n terms of how mutual help group involvement benefits patients and how the self-help group evaluation paradigm should be broadened.