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Increases in tolerance within naturalistic, intentional communities: a randomized, longitudinal examination
Brad Olson1, Leonard A Jason, Michelle Davidson
1Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA. b-olson@northwestern.edu
American Journal of Community Psychology
|October 20, 2009
Summary
Therapeutic communal living settings like Oxford House significantly increase tolerance compared to usual aftercare. Long-term residents showed the greatest improvements in tolerance, likely due to shared community goals.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Addiction Studies
Background:
- Substance use disorder treatment often includes aftercare planning.
- Evaluating the long-term efficacy of different aftercare models is crucial.
- Communal living environments may foster prosocial attitudes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare changes in tolerance levels between individuals in therapeutic communal living and usual aftercare.
- To investigate the impact of duration in a communal living setting on tolerance.
- To explore the role of community goals in attitude development.
Main Methods:
- 150 participants discharged from inpatient treatment were randomized into two groups: communal living (Oxford House) or usual aftercare.
- Participants were interviewed every 6 months over a 24-month period.
- Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyzed the effect of the condition on tolerance scores over time.
Main Results:
- Communal living participants showed significantly greater increases in tolerance over time compared to usual aftercare.
- Participants residing in communal living for over 6 months exhibited the most substantial gains in tolerance.
- Attitude development in communal living may be linked to pursuing shared, superordinate community goals.
Conclusions:
- Therapeutic communal living environments appear to be more effective in fostering tolerance than standard aftercare.
- Sustained engagement in communal living settings promotes significant positive changes in attitudes.
- The pursuit of collective goals within a supportive community structure can enhance individual tolerance.
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