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Social Support and Associated Factors Among Men and Women in Pre-COVID Substance Use Treatment

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Abstract

Low levels of social support are related to negative health outcomes, representing further obstacles to recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). This study examined relationships among stressors, symptoms and social support in 124 women and 102 men engaged in two outpatient public sector substance use treatment programs. Multiple linear regression analyses were utilized to assess relationships between variables of interest and social support. Men reported significantly lower social support than women. Food insecurity was associated with lower social support for men (β= -13.6 [95% CI -26.7, -0.4], p = 0.04). When examining emotional support and tangible aid, victimization history was related to lower support (both types) for women while food insecurity was associated with lower support (both types) for men. Depression was related to lower emotional support among both men and women. Substance use treatment programs should explicitly target social support and related stressors to facilitate recovery for the individuals they serve.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge our collaborators at the Boston Public Health Commission’s Recovery Services and Rita Nieves, RN, MPH, LICSW the former Executive Director of Boston Public Health Commission at the time of the study.

Funding

This work was supported by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under grant numbers TI24616 and TI025137.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, 175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA

    Arielle A.J. Scoglio

  2. Epidemiology Department, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Arielle A.J. Scoglio & Camille Ianne Marquez

  3. Institute for Health Equity & Social Justice Research, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Gemma McFarland, Atsushi Matsumoto & Alisa K. Lincoln

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  1. Arielle A.J. Scoglio
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Correspondence to Arielle A.J. Scoglio.

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Scoglio, A.A., McFarland, G., Marquez, C.I. et al. Social Support and Associated Factors Among Men and Women in Pre-COVID Substance Use Treatment. Community Ment Health J 60, 672–680 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-023-01218-7

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