SMART Recovery Meetings for Alcohol Recovery Appeal to People with More Social and Economic Stability and Lower Spiritual Leanings, Compared to Alcoholics Anonymous

Certain characteristics of people seeking remission from alcohol use disorder (AUD) are linked to their choice of recovery meeting, a new study suggests. Informal peer recovery groups—mutual-help organizations—play a crucial role for many individuals with AUD or other drug disorders. Such groups are proliferating and differ substantially in approach.

Social support promotes rehab participation in mice after spinal cord injury

A research finding in mice that gabapentin improved rehab compliance after spinal cord injury led scientists to a related, unexpected discovery: Injured mice that didn’t receive the drug and declined to exercise by themselves were willing to hop on the treadmill for a group rehab option.

Social support reduces genetic risk factors that can lead to alcohol use problems

A new study from the Arizona State University Department of Psychology shows that the combination of genetic predisposition to alcohol use disorders and personality type can lead to problematic drinking behaviors. Having strong social support from friends was identified as protective against excessive drinking. The work was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.

Public health researchers show that strong social support networks in Chinese and Korean American communities equates to healthier, happier individuals

In a study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, a research team from the University of California, Irvine Program in Public Health and School of Medicine were able to show that in Chinese and Korean American populations, having a strong social support network significantly increases an individuals’ self-reported health and well-being.

Healing from Post-Pandemic Trauma: Moving Forward After Lockdown

Dreams about unmasked crowds. Getting back to the routines of work, school or the everyday things we used to do. Shaking hands and hugging. Meeting without a computer screen separating the people in the conversation. Mourning the loss of lives.  Anxiety about re-entering society as the world continues to grapple with the pandemic is real.

Huge Study Links Risky Drinking with Low Social Support and Area of Residence

People who report having low social support are substantially more likely to experience heavy drinking and binge drinking than those who feel more supported, a large European study suggests. The researchers also found strong evidence that risky drinking is associated with areas of residence. Although alcohol use is known to be linked to social, economic, and demographic factors, the research is incomplete; it is not clear to what extent some of these factors, especially environmental conditions, predict dangerous drinking. Investigators in Spain designed a study that was unusual in exploring both heavy drinking and binge drinking and both individual and contextual (environmental) factors. The study, in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, confirmed individual risk factors and highlighted certain environmental conditions that may help target interventions for those at risk.