The influence of abuse victimization on attendance and involvement in mutual-help groups among dually diagnosed male veterans.

Makin-Byrd K, Cronkite RC, Timko C. The influence of abuse victimization on attendance and involvement in mutual-help groups among dually diagnosed male veterans. Journal of substance abuse treatment. 2011 Jul 1; 41(1):78-87.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• RCS 00-001 – Quality and Care of Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Treatment
• IIR 05-014 – Dual Diagnosis Self-Help Group Referral: Outcomes and Services Use
• IIR 07-264 – Treating Violence-Prone Substance Use Disorder Patients

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions

Search for Abstract from PubMed

---

Abstract:

Although abuse victimization and dual diagnosis are associated with poor functioning across numerous domains, their impact on attendance and involvement in mutual-help groups (MHGs) is not well understood. This study examined the impact of physical or sexual abuse victimization on MHG attendance and involvement and the influence of abuse on the association between MHG involvement and outcomes of abstinence and psychiatric health. Participants were 217 dually diagnosed men assessed at intake into mental health treatment and 6 months later. Compared with nonabused patients, sexually abused patients exhibited more substance use, psychiatric, and social problems at baseline and attended and were involved with MHGs more than nonabused patients at follow-up. Moreover, MHG involvement was most predictive of abstinence for sexually abused patients, as compared with nonabused and physically abused patients. Although dually diagnosed patients with abuse histories demonstrate more severe initial problems, they are likely to utilize MHGs, which may benefit efforts to achieve abstinence.