Self-Help Group Attendance-Associated Treatment Outcomes Among Individuals With Substance Use Disorder in Short-Term Residential Facilities

This study examined whether self-help group (SHG) attendance during treatment episodes in short-term residential programs increases treatment commitment among adults with substance use disorders (SUDs) in the United States. This cross-sectional study used the 2018 Treatment Episode Data Set-Discharges (TEDS-D), made available by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The effect of SHG attendance frequency was examined on three outcomes: (a) treatment completion and (b) retention, analyzed by multivariable logistic regression models; and (c) time-to-dropout, estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Of the 75,252 discharges, 38% did not complete the planned treatment. SHG attendance frequency of eight times or more during the treatment episode had a significantly strong association with treatment completion and retention and time-to-dropout. Compared with individuals who did not attend any SHG, individuals attending SHG meetings eight or more times were more than three times as likely to complete treatment (odds ratio [OR] = 3.31, 95% CI [3.15, 3.49]). Similarly, SHG attendance frequency of eight or more times significantly reduced the dropout risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 0.32, 95% CI [0.31, 0.34]). Among discharges that dropped out, we found a positive dose-response relationship between SHG attendance frequency and retention. Our results suggest a strong association between frequent SHG attendance of 8-30 times and improvement in treatment completion and retention, as well as a reduction in early dropout within short-term residential facilities for adults with SUDs. Expanding self-help options in short-term residential settings is warranted.