"Getting by (or getting high) with a little help from my friends": An examination of adult alcoholics' friendships

Objective: Researchers have devoted much attention to the influence of soci al support on positive health outcomes, including efficacy of alcoholism tr eatment. Yet relatively little research has examined the structure (e.g., q uantity or frequency of interactions) and quality (e.g., subjective apprais als of value or adequacy) of alcoholics' relationships. In addition, few st udies have explored adult alcoholics' friendships, despite research suggest ing that friendships influence treatment outcomes. The current study examin ed friendship characteristics of Project MATCH participants. Method: Partic ipants (1,183 men, 380 women) described the structure and quality of their friendships at baseline and posttreatment. Friendships with drinkers and no ndrinkers were examined in relation to baseline and follow-up drinking leve ls, as well as participant gender, age and parental history of alcohol prob lems. Results: Significant changes were found in all aspects of friendships with both drinkers and nondrinkers from baseline to the 6-month posttreatm ent interview. For example, although approximately half of alcoholics' frie ndships were with drinkers at baseline, that proportion decreased following treatment, whereas the proportion of friendships with nondrinkers increase d. There was support for the hypothesis that changes in both friendship qua lity and structure would predict follow-up drinking levels. Conclusions: Th is study offers persuasive evidence for the importance of quality arid, esp ecially, structure of friendships to adult alcoholics' drinking behavior. R esults also suggest differences in friendships depending on gender and acro ss the lifespan. Such individual differences may have implications for prev ention and treatment.