Population-Centered Groups for Women Recovering from Substance Abuse: Satisfaction, Engagement, and Lessons Learned

ABSTRACT

The authors report a retrospective cross-sectional study examining quantitative and qualitative data from surveys completed after interventions. Participants were a convenience sample of women in recovery for substance dependence between 2012 and 2013. Descriptive statistics were used to examine client satisfaction, inferential statistics to determine differences in client engagement, and NVivo and Excel systems to guide qualitative analysis. Survey responses (n = 893) revealed high satisfaction (97.3%) and engagement in craft-based self-development and life skills groups. Two overarching themes related to clients having learned (1) something about self and (2) something about others, the world, or the characteristics of healthy living.

KEYWORDS:

• Crafts
• life skills
• self-development
• substance-related disorders

Acknowledgments

We thank those who work at the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center for Women (ADA House) for their strong support of occupational therapy. We also thank Kimberly Parker and Kristin Carlson for assistance with literature searches and data entry.