Multiple psychological senses of community and community influences on personal recovery processes from substance use problems in later life: a collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic analysis

ABSTRACT

Purpose

There is a pressing need for substance use services to know more about how to promote recovery from substance use problems, particularly in later life. Psychological sense of community (PSOC) is an important recovery dimension. This study aims to clarify in what ways PSOC and communities influence later life recovery processes.

Method

A collaborative and deductive reflexive thematic approach was used to analyse 23 interviews with older adults in recovery from different substance use problems.

Results

The findings suggest that PSOC and recovery in later life include multiple communities (relational, geographical, substance use-related, ideal and service-related) and affective states (PSOC and NPSOC). Older adults’ recovery, moreover, can be described as personal and heterogenic (with respect to community relationships, individual needs, type of substance use problem, age of onset and meaningful activities).

Conclusions

The findings confirm age of onset, type of substance use problem and community memberships as essential to later life recovery. They also supplement prior evidence on community resources and challenges to later life recovery. Importantly, the new findings extend and nuance current understandings of later life recovery. Taken together, the article illustrates MPSOC as a useful concept, with central practical and theoretical implications for later life recovery.

KEYWORDS:

• Community
• later life
• psychological sense of community
• recovery
• substance use problems
• qualitative methodology

Acknowledgments

We thank all participants for taking part in the interviews for this study. We appreciate the contribution of all of those who were involved with study recruitment and data collection. We also thank the Norwegian Directorate of Health for the assignment to study experiences of services from Norwegian municipalities for those with substance use problems.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Norwegian directorate of health.

Notes on contributors

Nina Kavita Heggen Bahl

Nina Kavita Heggen Bahl is a researcher at Department of Research and Development, Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olavs University Hospital. She is a Norwegian-Indian community psychologist and her research intersects areas of community, cultural meaning systems, life-span, recovery, substance use problems as well as qualitative methods. She has been the first author of several qualitative articles about psychological senses of community (PSOC) in Norway and India and PSOC and recovery among different age groups with substance use problems.

Emil Øversveen

Emil Øversveen is a researcher currently working at Manifest. He is also a postdoctoral fellow in sociology at NTNU, Norway. His main research interests include social inequality, Marxist theory, health and the welfare state.

Morten Brodahl

Morten Brodahl is a peer researcher working at the Norwegian National Advisory Unit on Concurrent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders. Brodahl has contributed and been involved as a peer researcher in the analysis of several research projects concerning community, empowerment and recovery among different age groups of persons with concurrent substance use problems and mental health disorders.

Hilde Eileen Nafstad

Hilde Eileen Nafstad is professor emerita at the University of Oslo in social, developmental and community psychology. She has published widely in various international journals on subject such as ideologies, well-being, cultural meaning systems, development, minorities, ethical issues and area ethics. She has also written numerous chapters in edited books.

Rolv Mikkel Blakar

Rolv Mikkel Blakar is professor emeritus at the University of Oslo in social psychology. In particular, he has been studying human communication and the psychology of language. He is the author of numerous books and articles in the field of human communication and the psychology of language.

Anne Signe Landheim

Anne Signe Landheim is a research manager at the Norwegian National Advisory Unit for Concurrent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders. She is also a professor in Mental Health work at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences-Researcher in Norway. Landheim’ s current research focuses on services for persons with mental illness and concurrent substance use disorders, mental health outreach, recovery oriented services and community mental health work

Kristin Tømmervik

Kristin Tømmervik is a clinical psychologist and research leader at the Department of Research and Development, Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olavs University Hospital. The main focus of the unit is clinical research concerning substance abuse and treatment. Major topics of the department include user involvement, clinical tools, treatment evaluation and prospective studies and Tømmervik has been involved in the development and recruitment of several of the research projects.