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Abstract
This qualitative study, presented in two parts, refines the model of how chemically dependent adolescents initiate and engage in the recovery process. Part I describes the research process and results used to derive the model. The model was derived from theory grounded in verbatim reports of 30 chemically dependent participants who first attempted recovery from chemical dependence during adolescence. The constant comparative method of grounded theory was used to analyze the data. This stage model of adolescent recovery includes the using/precontemplation, transition, early recovery, and ongoing recovery stages; the transition stage is divided into contemplation and action phases. The stages, phases, and significant events are similar, but not identical to, those presented in adult-based models of recovery from chemical dependence. In Part 2, the resulting theory is compared with extant theories on stages of recovery in chemically dependent adults, treatment implications for the adolescent population are reviewed, and topics for further research are suggested.