Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between identity styles and recovery from substance abuse. Consistent findings have established a relationship between identity diffusion and substance misuse, but no research has explored the influence of identity styles on recovery processes. Participants (N = 252) from treatment and recovery- based facilities and groups using a 12-step recovery model were assessed with the Identity Style Inventory (White, Wampler, & Winn, 1998) and self-report measures of pretreatment addiction, length of continuous abstinence, quality of recovery, and recovery progress. Those with a diffuse/avoidant style had shorter lengths of continuous abstinence, fewer recovery-oriented behaviors, lower quality of recovery, and less recovery progress than those with an information style, suggesting an important relationship between identity styles and the process of recovery from substance abuse.