'It Takes a Village': Sociocultural Insights From a Qualitative Study on Strategies for Member Engagement and...

SMART (self-management and recovery training) recovery is a mutual-help group that supports and sustains recovery from addiction, including substance use. Meetings are moderated by trained facilitators who manage group dynamics and guide members through a 4-point program. Nonetheless, sociocultural factors can influence group processes, shaping facilitation style and delivery of SMART Recovery. Our study explored facilitation strategies used in Singapore to foster member engagement and retention.

In-depth qualitative interviews with 18 participants (14 members and four facilitators) were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Six themes were generated: (i) collaborative decision-making to manage inherent hierarchical group dynamics; (ii) using member-driven topics to find commonality and discuss taboo issues; (iii) emphasising 'no right or wrong' alleviates fear of social disapproval and disrupting group harmony; (iv) navigating autonomy within an interdependent group context; (v) encouraging involvement in activities outside of SMART Recovery meetings to strengthen group cohesion; and (vi) aligning facilitation roles with local cultural expectations.

Facilitation processes were embedded within broader cultural contexts emphasising interdependence, relational harmony and belonging, collective obligation and avoiding the loss of face. Strategies reflect facilitators' social adaptability, other-orientation and responsiveness to group dynamics. These promoted key processes such as cohesion, collective identity and ownership, leading to reflective engagement, active participation and retention. Our study reiterates that situating mutual-help groups within their sociocultural contexts, including the potential coexistence of independent and interdependent views of the self, is essential for understanding and promoting meaningful engagement and participation.