Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Intensive Referral To Mutual-Help Groups: A Field Trial Of Adaptations For Rural Veterans, Kathleen M. Grant, Lance Brendan Young, Kimberly A. Tyler, Jamie L. Simpson, R. Dario Pulido, Christine Timko

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Objective: A multisite field trial testing whether improved outcomes associated with intensive referral to mutual help groups (MHGs) could be maintained after the intervention was adapted for the circumstances and needs of rural veterans in treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). Methods: In three Veterans Affairs treatment programs in the Midwest, patients (N = 195) received standard referral (SR) or rural-adapted intensive referral (RAIR) and were measured at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Results: Both groups reported significant improvement at 6 months but no significant differences between SR and RAIR groups in MHG participation, substance use, addiction severity, and posttraumatic stress …