Social Support and Gender as Correlates of Relapse Risk in Collegiate Recovery Programs

ABSTRACT

Collegiate students are at an increased risk for substance use disorders (SUDs). For those who find recovery, there are Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) to support their academic and recovery process while in school. This study examines data from 147 participants from five CRPs at universities in the United States. The mean age was 27 years and 52% were male, 48% female. This study explored the relationship between social support, gender, and relapse using a moderated multiple regression (MMR) analysis. The findings indicate men and women experience social support differently, and it affects their risk of relapse (.156 unit increase). Men with higher levels of social support are at higher risk of relapse, whereas women with higher social support have lower risk of relapse. These findings support a need for further research on this topic. Additionally, providers should be aware of the way social support is different for men and women in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Collegiate
• recovery
• gender
• social support
• substance use disorder
• relapse

Acknowledgment

The authors hereby state that this is an original manuscript that has not been published elsewhere and has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.