Recovery capital in the process of change—differences and similarities between groups of clients treated for alcohol or drug problems

Abstract

The study investigated clients' retrospective descriptions of the impact of treatment interventions as well as other contextual factors in the clients' process of recovery. The data set was divided into two groups based on the clients' social integration, one marginalized and one integrated group, and analyzed for qualitative group-related differences in common factors described by the clients. The results showed some group-related differences in the process of change. When a process of change was initiated, family-related problems were more often severe for clients in the marginalized group than for those in the integrated group. Important factors for maintaining positive change were to a greater extent present in the integrated group while the marginalized group recreated them during treatment, for example by creating new social networks and getting employment. With these differences in mind, both groups stressed the same type of factors as important for a process of change. This might suggest that although the clients in the marginalized group had restored their external social conditions during treatment, their actual recovery capital was in general more fragile than that of clients in the integrated group and hence these clients might be in need of extended support after treatment.

I studien undersöks hur klienter som genomgått en positiv förändring, relaterat till alkohol- och narkotikaproblem, beskriver olika faktorers betydelse för förändringsprocessen. Materialet är indelat i två grupper, en socialt marginaliserad grupp och en mer integrerad grupp, och kvalitativa skillnader och likheter i de faktorer som klientgrupperna beskrivit analyseras. Resultaten visar att samma typ av faktorer lyfts fram i båda grupperna, samtidigt framkommer grupprelaterade kvalitativa skillnader i förändringsprocessens olika faser. I förändringsprocessens initieringsfas var familjerelaterade problem ofta mer allvarliga för klienter i den marginaliserade gruppen. I fasen för bibehållande av en positiv förändring fanns de faktorer som beskrevs som viktiga redan tillgängliga i den integrerade gruppen medan klienter i den marginaliserade gruppen i stor utsträckning behövde återskapa till exempel fungerande socialt nätverk, arbete och bostad under behandlingstiden. Det innebär att återhämtningskapitalet vid behandlingstidens slut är mer skört för klienter i den marginaliserade gruppen. För att bibehålla en positiv förändring kan det därför för dessa klienter finnas ett behov av fortsatt stöd efter behandlingen.

Keywords:

• recovery capital
• alcohol and drug treatment
• process of change

Schlüsselwörter:

• Återhämtningskapital
• alkoholproblem
• alkohol-och narkotikabehandling
• förändringsprocesser

Acknowledgement

The study was financed by grants from Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research.

Notes on contributors

Lisa Skogens, Ph.D., works as researcher at the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University. Her research focuses on alcohol and drug issues and she also teaches on alcohol and drug issues on the Bachelor and Master program.

Ninive von Greiff, Ph.D., works as researcher at the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University. Her research focuses on alcohol and drug issues and she also teaches on alcohol and drug issues on the Bachelor and Master program.