Estimating person--environment transactions on intention to change drug-using behaviors

The community attachment model of addiction is an ecologically based social process model that suggests social context referents (peers, family, neighbors, etc.) will influence attachment to addiction or recovery communities, via cognitive, affective, and behavioral commitments. This study examined the influence of social context referents on intention to change drug using behavior, and examined moderating effects of three contextual indicators (labor market attachment, educational attainment, and family poverty status) on these relationships. The study sample consisted of 302 adults in inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities, who completed a set of instruments that included the Ecological Assessment of Substance Abuse Experiences (EASE), a new instrument designed to measure the influence of social context referents on addiction and recovery attachment processes. Results showed that all three contextual indicators moderated relationships among social context referenced attitudes, drug use concern, and intention to change drug using behaviors. Findings suggest that practitioners should attend to both microlevel orientations to social context and macrolevel contextual dimensions (e.g., labor force attachment), as both may influence behavioral change opportunities.