Lack of social support can be one of the factors that influences recurrences of drug consumption after treatment of addictions.
Aim: To assess the role of social support in maintaining drug abstinence after treatment.
Material and methods: We studied 306 subjects that were treated in drug addiction centers, financed by the National Council for Drug Control (CONACE). At discharge, social and demographic data were recorded and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) questionnaire was given to evaluate social support. Subjects that achieved abstinence at the moment of discharge were contacted six months later and interrogated about eventual drug consumption thereafter.
Results: One hundred fifty three (76% male, aged 32+/-10 years) of 197 abstinent subjects at discharge, were located six months later. Of these, 108 (71%) were not consuming drugs. On univariate analysis, social support had a protective effect against recurrence of drug consumption (OR-0.98; CI 95%=0.96-0.99). This effect remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, occupational situation, mental health self-assessment, family history of alcohol and drug consumption, type of drug treatment and type of discharge as confounding variables (OR=0.97; CI 95%=0.94-0.99).
Conclusions: These data provide evidence that social support protects against recurrence into drug consumption at least up to six months. Long-term effects should be evaluated.