Pathways to Peer Support in Sober Living Houses: The Importance of Social Model Environments and Helping Behaviors

Sober living houses (SLHs) provide abstinence-based living environments for individuals in recovery from substance use disorders. The social model approach to recovery that is used emphasizes helping in recovery. Here, we test whether greater social model activity is related to more helping in the house, and whether these helping behaviors subsequently predict stronger support among SLH peers. Longitudinal data were collected from N = 205 SLH residents with past-year alcohol use disorder who entered 28 SLHs in Los Angeles, California. Regression models tested whether social model activity (Recovery Home Environment Scale, RHES) was related to support (Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment, CEST). A multiple mediation model tested whether this relationship was mediated by giving and receiving help in the SLH. Higher RHES scores were significantly related to higher CEST scores, greater help given, and greater help received. Both the RHES and help received showed significant direct effects on the CEST. The significant direct and indirect effects suggest that the effect of the RHES on CEST scores appears partially mediated by helping in the SLH. SLH managers and operators can build strong social environments that increase helping and support among residents by focusing on elements from the social model.