We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.
Personal Network Characteristics of Youth in Substance Use Treatment: Motivation for and Perceived Difficulty of Positive Network Change
Tammy Chung , Lauren Sealy , Margaret Abraham , Cynthia Ruglovsky , Jacqueline Schall , Stephen A. Maisto
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 3, 2015
Friends and family can have an important impact in supporting youth recovery from substance abuse. Noteworthy study findings are that treated youth with a goal of temporary abstinence reported lower motivation for positive network change, and that adolescents’ report of closer ties among peers was associated with greater perceived difficulty of network change. Personal network interventions that address adolescents’ motivation for positive network change and perceived difficulty of positive network change are needed in order to activate a social environment that supports an adolescent’s ability to maintain treatment gains over time.