The Role of Ego Networks in Studies of Substance Use Disorder Recovery

Abstract

Those who study treatment and recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) generally agree that an individual's social context impacts his or her success (or failure) in recovery. Recently, as the use of social network analysis has increased, studies on SUD recovery and treatment have adopted ego networks as a research tool. This review aims to tie together a thread of research for an efficient and effective summary. We selected peer-reviewed articles on individuals receiving treatment an intervention for SUD or AUD that used ego network measures of individual social networks. Ego networks have been studied as treatment outcomes, predictors of treatment outcomes in general, and how an individual's ego network might be used to predict what specific treatment is most likely to succeed. We discuss relevant findings of studies using ego networks, the strengths and weaknesses of ego network approaches, and how future studies may benefit from the use of ego networks.