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Abstract

This study examined structural changes in social network influences of recovering drug users. Anchored on the theory of social influences and social network, recovering drug users’ social network interactions were mapped out using social network analysis (SNA). This study utilized exploratory sequential mixed method design. A focused group discussion (n = 12) using the name generator approach was conducted to develop a survey of the recovering drug users’ social network influences. This survey was administered pre- and post-community–based drug rehabilitation (n = 52). Results of the SNA show that members of the drug users’ immediate families, their friends, and their neighborhoods were significant influencers in their social network. This study also found structural changes in the social network influence post-drug intervention. There was a significant reduction in the use and mobilization of network provisions with negative influences (i.e., stigma, maltreatment, financial aid, experiences of abandonment, carrying burdens). Participants also reported a significant increase in their recovery capital and a decrease in substance use disorder symptoms over time. As community-based programs gain wider acceptance, policy makers and interventionists should consider the dynamics of social network structure and influences when designing drug rehabilitation and aftercare programs.

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