Social Network Cohesion among Veterans Living in Recovery Homes

Abstract

Recovery homes for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) called Oxford House (OH) have been shown to improve the prospects of a successful recovery across different sub-populations, and these homes may be particularly beneficial for veterans in recovery. An estimated 18% of OH residents are veterans; however, not much is known about their experiences living in these homes. Participants included 85 veterans and non-veterans living in 13 OHs located in different regions of the United States. Using social network analysis and multi-level modeling, we investigated whether the social networks of veterans residing with other veterans were more cohesive compared to veterans living with only non-veterans. Results indicated that veterans residing with other veterans had stronger relationships with other OH residents than veterans who reside with all non-veterans. The implications for theory and practice are discussed. Further research is needed to determine if greater social network cohesion leads to better recovery outcomes for veterans.

Keywords:

• Veterans
• substance use disorders
• recovery homes
• aftercare
• social networks
• cohesion
• peer support
• social identity theory

Acknowledgments

The authors want to express their gratitude to the veterans and Oxford House residents that participated in this study. The authors also acknowledgethe assistance from members of the Oxford House organization, and in particular Paul Molloy, Alex Snowden, Casey Longan, and Howard Wilkins. In addition, the authors appreciate the help of Ed Stevens, John Light, and Gabrielle Lynch with the social network data and the financial support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (grant number AA022763).

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article. The study described was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (grant number AA022763). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agency or the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

This article received financial support from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Grant/Award Number: AA022763.