Peer relations scale for adolescents treated for substance use disorder: a factor analytic presentation

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Addiction Medicine
• Sociology

Background:

• Peer relations are crucial for adolescent substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery.
• A standardized measure for assessing peer relations in this population is currently lacking.
• This study addresses the need for a reliable tool to evaluate peer influences on recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an exploratory factor analysis of a 14-item peer relations scale.
• To examine the underlying factor structure of the scale for adolescents in SUD treatment.
• To establish a valid measurement tool for peer relations in this clinical population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 509 adolescents 6-12 months post-discharge from substance abuse treatment.
• Administered a 230-item questionnaire including the 14-item peer relations scale.
• Employed principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation to determine the scale's structure.

Main Results:

• A three-factor solution emerged, explaining 99.99% of the common variance.
• Factor 1 (10 items) measures association with peers exhibiting positive versus delinquent social behavior.
• Factor 2 (3 items) assesses peer drug use influence on recovery, and Factor 3 (2 items) examines association with new versus old friends post-treatment.

Conclusions:

• The developed 14-item scale effectively measures critical dimensions of peer relations.
• This scale provides a standardized approach to assessing peer influences on sustained recovery from SUD.
• Findings support the scale's utility in clinical settings for guiding adolescent recovery efforts.